The Lion of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Pride
by WTF123
Summary: When Simba was a young cub, he was the one who discovered the Ring of Power instead of Bilbo Baggins. He kept it a secret for his entire life. Years later, after the birth of his grandcubs, the Ring is discovered by his family, which leads to devastating consequences. Now, their only hope of saving Middle Earth from total destruction is to journey to Mordor and destroy it.
1. One Ring to Rule Them All

**_Author's Note: _This is my very first Lion King fanfic_. _The idea for this story came to me in a dream after I watched Fellowship of the Ring one night. In this story, The Pride Lands are one of the kingdoms of Middle Earth, and is set long after the events of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. Also, I will be including Kopa and Vitani together with their cubs in this story, because I really love those characters. And Kiara and Kovu (finally) have their cubs as well in this, so expect to see that too. One more thing: If this gets popular enough, I'll also do The Two Towers with this as a sequel. And if that goes well, I'll finish up the trilogy with Return of the King. And as usual, I do not own The Lion King or Lord of the Rings. They belong to Walt Disney Studios and Peter Jackson/New Line Cinema/J.R.R Tolkien respectfully.**

**Now with that out of the way, let's move on to the first ever crossover between The Lion King Trilogy and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy...**

* * *

**Chapter I: One Ring to Rule Them All**

_The world has changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost. For none now live who remember it._

_It began with the forging of the great rings. Three were given to the elves; immortal, wisest, and fairest of all beings. Seven to the dwarf lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. And nine... nine rings were gifted to the race of men, who above all else, desire power. For within these rings was bound the strength and will to govern each race._

_But they were all of them deceived... for another ring was made._

_In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the dark lord Sauron forged in secret, a master ring, to control all others. And into this ring, he poured his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all life._

_One ring to rule them all._

_One by one, the free lands of Middle Earth fell to the power of the ring. But there were some... who resisted. A last alliance of men and elves marched against the armies of Mordor, and on the slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for the freedom of Middle Earth._

_Victory was near. But the power of the ring... could not be undone._

_It was in this moment, when all hope had faded that Isildor, son of the king took up his father's sword. Sauron, the enemy of the free peoples of Middle Earth, was defeated._

_The ring passed to Isildor, who had this one chance to destroy evil forever. But the hearts of men... are easily corrupted. And the ring of power has a will of its own. It betrayed Isildor to his death. And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost._

_History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge. Until, when chance came, it ensnared a new bearer. The ring came to the creature Gollum, who took it deep into the tunnels of the Misty Mountains. And there, it consumed him._

_The ring brought to Gollum unnatural long life. For 500 years it poisoned his mind, and in the gloom of Gollum's cave, it waited. Darkness crept back into the forests of the world. Rumor grew of a shadow in the east, whispers of a nameless fear. And the ring of power percieved... it's time had now come. It abandoned Gollum._

_But something happened then the ring did not intend. It was picked up by the most unlikely creature imaginable... a young lion, prince Simba of the Pride Lands. For the time will soon come when lions will shape the fortunes of all..._


	2. 15 Years Later

**Chapter II: 15 Years Later**

The Pride Lands.

Besides the Shire, it was the most beautiful and peaceful of all the kingdoms of Middle Earth. There were no hobbits, no elves, no dwarves, and no men to try and take control. Instead, there lived a strange race of creatures known as lions. With a monarchy, they lived in a mountainous form in the center of their lands that they had dubbed Pride Rock, an impressively monumental structure that had been around longer than the great rings themselves. The view from the ledge that extended from the main structure was breathtaking, even for its inhabitants. The lands that they ruled were overwhelmingly majestic, to say the least. It had things like spacious fields of savannah grass that would softly shift around with the gentle breeze, vast plains with many types of animals found nowhere else in Middle Earth, like elephants, gazelles, and zebras just to name a few. They were the commoners; the royal subjects in the kingship that the lions had managed for so many generations now.

In addition, there were small groups of unique trees and plants, and clear, cool rivers and lakes that were so pure, they would share the look of glimmering crystals in the sunlight. And the Pride Lands also had the privilege of having some of the most beautiful and exalted sunrises that took place every morning, directly ahead of Pride Rock. They were so elegant and breathtaking, they were legendary throughout most of Middle Earth. At night, the stars, or the great kings of the past as they called them, were so clear and bright that even Sauron himself would've been impressed. The lands the lions and the other animals shared didn't have any of the structural settlements of The Shire, none of the smoke and trenches of Isengard, and certainly not the fires and gloom of Mordor. It was an absolute paradise for the lions and its commoners. And it wasn't just them who knew that. The pride Lands were fairly well known throughout Middle Earth for these very things, among others. Like the myth of Sauron and the ring, the Pride Lands were a legend all of its own.

But as peaceful and ravishing as the lands may have been, life was not always like that there. Throughout the years, many great legends and stories of death, mental struggle, great battles, and sheer brutality had emerged from the Pride Lands and the lions that inhabited them. Just a small handful of the legends to emerge in recent memory were the two brothers Mufasa and Scar, the redemption of Simba's past, the survival of Kopa, son of Simba, and the lovers Kiara and Kovu. Each end every one of them were among the many great stories that had spread throughout the lands over the years, and they all continued to inspire the inhabitants of the world as well.

But while all of these had proven to be great challenges, both physically and mentally for the race of lions, none of them could ever hope to compare to what was going to happen to them in the days to come.

* * *

The sun was only minutes away from rising. While the darkness of night in the Pride Lands was beginning to lift, it would be a short while before the sun would transform its cloudless skies into day. In the cave of Pride Rock was the pride members, who not a year ago had been brutally divided in bloody war, now all peacefully sleeping amongst one another, their gentle breathing never stirring in even the slightest. Simba, who was the king of these lands, was also fast asleep.

Simba, in a lot of ways, resembled his father, Mufasa; He had golden toned fur that shared the color of the most valuable precious metals in Middle Earth. His deep yellow eyes with red pupils were also distinctive of Mufasa. His soft mane, while also still retaining its dynamic red color, had slightly faded over the years, with his age now beginning to get to him. He could still hunt and protect the ones he loved just fine still, but the signs were only now beginning to show that his life would only last a few years more.

King Simba slowly began to stir in his sleep. He rustled in his spot for a moment until his eyes peacefully opened, seeing the world around him for another day as he looked out to the sky. Even though he had seen it so many times before, it never got any less amazing, especially at this time of the morning. He yawned before he stood up, taking notice that he was up before any of the other pride landers. He looked around him. To his left was his beautiful mate, Nala, still sleeping peacefully. She once had a deeper shade of light, creamy colored fur, but in the time between having cubs, it had grown to a much lighter shade, though not to the extent where one would mistake it for white fur. Though she was still one of the top notch hunters in the pride, signs of her age were beginning to peak as well. Here eyes were of the deepest tone of blue, like one of the vast oceans many lands away. To Simba, Nala was the most gorgeous thing in the world to him. The sight of her never got tiring for him even after all these years. It was a love that was truly meant to last for the ages.

Next to her was their daughter, Kiara, and their son-in-law Kovu sleeping beside one another. Kiara had a rather mild golden, almost orange tinted fur tone with a still lighter shade on her stomach and underside, with red eyes much like her father, and in physical form, she much resembled her mother. Her loving mate, Kovu, was once an outlander, an enemy of the pride. But through a number of hardships and both physical and mental battles, Kovu and his pride had been accepted by Simba and the others as one of their own. His fur was a strange mixture of brown with just the faintest hint of purple. His mane was much darker; closer to black mixed with dark brown, though much closer to black. His fur tone, like Kiara's, was much lighter on his stomach and underside, and also extending up to his mouth and snout area. His eyes were vibrant emerald green, and over his left eye was what remained of the loathsome scar that his own mother had given him long ago, after the death of his brother. But much to Kovu's relief, it was now fading away like it was expected to, erasing any connections he could've once had with Scar.

If Simba and Nala's love was one for the ages, theirs was one for the eons. It was one of the greatest known romances to emerge from Middle Earth in recent memory. Both were willing to put each others' lives in front of their own if they ever had to, Kovu had taught Kiara how to hunt like an expert in a matter of weeks when they first got together, and they both desired things like freedom, independence from rules and limitations, and the desire to get the most out of life. And sometimes, that would happen by watching others lives as well. Months earlier, Kiara had given birth to two cubs, Sayari and Amani, who were currently curled up by their mother's side, in between her and Kovu. The sight of this made Simba smile.

Then he turned to his right to find his son, Kopa, and his mate Vitani breathing slowly and softly. Their firstborn, Akarudi was sleeping on his father's back close to his neck while his sister, Kijani, was calmly laying against her mother's side. Kopa fairly resembled his father, a trait that almost seemed to run in the family. He had bright, golden fur but with a mostly brown mane, and had red eyes, though if you looked closely, you could just make out a faint hint of purple in them, most obviously coming from Nala's side of his heritage mixing with Simba's. And for the most part, this was not noticed by anyone except for his loving mate, Vitani, who would often get lost in his eyes just at the sight of him.

Vitani, like her brother Kovu, was once an outlander with loyalty for Zira (and therefore Scar), but through the same events that let to Kovu's redemption, it in turn led to Vitani's. While she was an outlander, her fur was a quite faded tone of beige, and was always scruffy looking to the point where it could've been mistaken for a tint of grey. Though once she joined the pride landers, this had improved very nicely, finally having the proper care she had needed all her life. The tone of beige was now more vibrant and not at all grey looking anymore. Her eyes were a solid shade of blue, and unlike most other lionesses, she seemed to have a distinct tuft of fur on her head, though not even nearly large enough to be mistaken for a mane of any kind. Along with that and some freckles on her cheeks, she was a very unique and rather strikingly beautiful lioness, and was one of the best hunters in the pride. If there was anyone she was most certainly sublime and dazzling to, it was no doubt at all, her mate.

During their childhood, Kopa and Vitani were perhaps the very definition of inseparable. They would do everything together, play games with each other, exchange playful conversations, thoughts and ideas; but above all, it was love that binded them. In spite of constant teasing and being made fun of by their friends at the time, the two young cubs were mutually in love. They would openly admit it to their friends, not feeling ashamed or embarrassed for even a moment. They enjoyed each others' company so much, that shortly after Nala had become pregnant with Kiara, Simba betrothed the two of them, a decision that overjoyed them to just about no end. However, Vitani's mother, Zira, was possibly the polar opposite of the two of them; She despised the idea of them ever being together, and hated Kopa with every bone in her body, being the son of who she thought was Scar's killer. She had even occasionally abused her daughter with no remorse just for being in love with him, but this did nothing to stop it. If anything, it even strengthened it slightly, since Vitani was quite rebellious and headstrong towards her at that age.

So when Simba had betrothed the two of them, something in Zira's mind had snapped; her sanity had crumbled at that very moment, and in a fit of rage, she attacked Kopa and tried as best as she could to brutally murder him. She slashed at him with her claws, crushed him with her teeth and jaws, and even left blood stains on Pride Rock that were still faintly visible even to this day. He was nearly killed. Zira had tossed his bloody body off of a cliff and into a river at the bottom, devastating not just all of the Pride Lands, but parts of Middle Earth included, who had come to know Kopa through stories of his father. Zira and her pride had been exiled, but this only tensed the situation even more. However, sometime after her death and Kiara and Kovu had become one, what the two of them had once hoped for was true in many more ways than they thought it would: love had found a way. Through self developed survival and hunting skills, Kopa had been able to endure the ordeal that Zira put him through, but lost his memory in the process. Luckilly, he regained it one day and set out for the Pride Lands as soon as he did. He returned alive and well. Vitani, overjoyed that her only love in life was alive, became his mate some time after that, and together they had raised a boy and a girl, who would both be heirs to the throne once Kopa takes over.

Simba sighed happily. His family was complete. He had a loving mate, two beautiful children, their own mates, and his grandcubs. And on top of that, it wouldn't be long before his son would take the throne and become king. But still, Simba couldn't help but feel that something was wrong; like something horrific was going to happen. It bothered him to quite an extent. He didn't have any reason to feel this, nothing had happened recently, at least not in the Pride Lands, so why was he feeling this way? He looked out to the sky. He still had a minute before the sun would rise and wake everyone else up. He took this opportunity to carefully walk past the pride and to the very back of Pride Rock's den. He looked behind him to be sure that no one was watching him. They weren't. So Simba pushed aside a few rocks as quietly as he could, and brushed away some gravel. Once he did that, it was in clear view; the thing he had kept for his entire life without another soul knowing, not even Nala.

The One Ring.

Simba looked upon the shimmering, golden ring with wonder mixed beside a hint of fear. He had know this ring for his entire life, and yet he didn't know why. Why did he find the ring? Why did it come to him? What was he meant to do with it? It was all a blur in his head. He wondered if he should take it to Rivendell and see if Elrond knew anything about it. After all, elves were the wisest of all beings in Middle Earth, but Simba pushed that thought aside. Quietly, he picked up the ring with his claws and stared at it against the sky. It was featureless, but Simba could've sworn that, for the briefest moment, he could see an elvish inscription on it. He put it down closer to the ground and continued to examine and think about it. Curiously, it occurred to the king that he had never actually worn the ring since he found it so many years ago. He wanted to put it on, but something inside of him told him not to, as if it was coming from the spirit of Mufasa himself. But as they saying goes, curiosity killed the cat.

With caution, Simba was about to use his claws to put the ring on one of the separations on his paws. It drew closer... closer to slipping on. But just before the ring could make contact with anything, he heard a soft rustling sound from behind him. He quickly put the ring back down and covered it up with the rocks and gravel just as hit mate Nala was waking up. She took no notice of the rocks and the soft sounds they made. She slowly lifted her head and opened her eyes, only to see that Simba wasn't next to her like usual. She looked around for a second until she spotted him at the back of the den. She looked confused.

"Simba? What're you doing up so early?", she asked. Simba didn't know what to say at first.

"I... I couldn't get back to sleep. I had a rough dream."

Nala was curious to know about that. "What was it about?"

Before Simba could reply, he and Nala both looked over to see that Sayari was beginning to wake up. The young prince yawned, stretched, and got up on all four legs. He looked up and saw that Simba and Nala were up.

"Good morning grandma and grandpa", he said cheerfully. They both smiled at him.

"Good morning, Sayari", replied Nala. Sayari then walked over to his brother Amani to try and get him up as well.

"Hey Amani, wake up!", he whispered. He got no response as Amani continued to breathe softly. He always was a heavy sleeper.

Within a minute, the rest of the pride began to wake up as well. Kopa was the last one to do so, and he only got up because Kijani had to tug on his ear. In many ways, Kopa reminded Simba of Mufasa; often having to rely on his cubs to get him up in the morning. It almost felt like a form of deja vu to him. He watched as the four cubs all got together and went outside the den, with their parents looking upon them with happiness. They were always energetic enough to want to play right as the day started. Simba could relate.

But as he watched the day begin, he still couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. He didn't know what, but something. This was nothing new, as he had this feeling once before in the days predating Zira's attack on Kopa so long ago. But this was different. The reason being is that he felt that whatever was going to occur was, somehow, going to have to do with that ring...


	3. The One Ring

**Author's Note: In this chapter, it's my first time trying to write any kind of interaction between cubs, so I apologize in advance if the dialogue on their end is a little clunky.**

* * *

**Chapter III: The One Ring**

It was later in the day. Kiara, Vitani, and Nala were out with the other lionesses on the day's hunt like usual, while Kopa and Kovu looked after the cubs out in the Pride Lands. Simba was with them since Zazu had yet to report on anything critical. Right now, the cubs had just finished playing in the water hole like they normally did on hot days. They'd never get into too much trouble, which made it easy on their fathers to keep an eye on them. Simba was looking upon his grandcubs with a proud expression on his face. _If only Mufasa could be here_, thought Simba.

Sayari and Amani were spitting images of their parents. Sayari looked like Kiara with Kovu's eyes; a light golden pelt with vibrant emerald green eyes, and a jet black tuft of fur on his head. His brother, Amani, most definitely resembled his father with his mother's eyes; light brown pelt with red eyes, and a much smaller tuft of fur on his head than Sayari's.

As for their two cousins, they also closely resembled their parents. Akarudi had a golden colored pelt of fur with a lighter shade on his stomach and underside. His eyes were mostly dark blue, but with just a hint of red, giving them a slight purple hue; the same color as the sky after the sun has gone down. Minus the eyes, he looked a lot like Simba did as a cub. As for his sister Kijani, she looked quite a bit like Nala did when she was young. She had a somewhat lighter gold fur tone than her brother did, with an even lighter shade of gold on her stomach and underside. Her eyes were unique, since they were a deep shade of emerald green, generally the same color as Kovu's eyes. Also unlike her brother, her nose resembled that of her mother's, or generally like any other former outlander's.

While they were drying off, Kijani asked, "Can we go home now, I'm getting cold".

Her brother Akarudi scoffed and nudged his sister with his paw. "But we just got out!"

"Hey, why did you push me?", she asked. Akarud got mad at that. "I didn't push you!"

"Yes you did!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

Simba could see where this was going. He wasn't in the mood for an argument like this.

"Okay, that's enough from you two", he said calmly. He didn't want to appear annoyed by the argument. "Now Akarudi, apologize to your sister."

"But I didn't push her! I only tapped her because of her stupid comment!"

Simba continued, "It doesn't matter, you should at least apologize so she doesn't stay mad at you."

Akarudi looked over at Kijani, and then back to Simba. "Why should I?", he said arrogantly. Simba looked over at Kopa, who was to his left. He winked at him, and Kopa did the same. They knew what they were doing; Mufasa once used it on Simba when he was young.

Kopa came up to them, and in an almost playful mood, he said, "If you don't apologize, the evil hyenas will come and get you!"

Akarudi and Kijani both perked up, looking afraid. For Simba and Kopa, it took all of their self control not to burst out laughing.

Kovu continued for his brother-in-law and said to them, "These hyenas want revenge for having Simba get away from them when he was little. And if you don't apologize to your sister, they'll come for you instead."

All four of them began to shake in fear. Akarudi quickly turned to Kijani and quickly said, "I'm sorry I pushed you!"

"I'm sorry I said I wanted to go home! I won't say it outloud again!"

Some things truly do run in the family.

Sayari, who was watching this go down with Amani, got an idea after this. He ran up to Simba and asked, "Grandpa Simba! Can you tell us another one of your stories? Please?"

This got the others' attention. They all crowded around their grandfather. "Yeah, yeah, tell us about the time you and grandma outran those hyenas all by yourselves!"

Simba almost blushed at that. He would have to remind himself now and then that it didn't exactly go that way. But then again, that's what stories can do to you after a while.

Sayari turned to Kijani and said, "What? He's already told us that one! Let's hear something different this time!"

Akarudi looked up to Simba and said, "Yeah! Tell us the story of how Bilbo Baggins once took down that mean old dragon with Gandalf the Grey!"

These kids certainly were a handful. Now Simba knew how Mufasa felt when he was young. Kopa and Kovu felt the same. Now Kopa came up to the four cubs, and said "I've got a story for you all. Come around, and I'll tell you."

Kovu now came up to them. The four cubs gathered around their father and uncle to hear the story. Kopa laid down on the ground facing the cubs as he continued. "Now this is a story I once heard from your mother when we were still cubs just like you."

He turned to Kovu. He had laid down as well. Kopa continued, "You all know how Middle Earth is controlled by the great rings, right?"

They all nodded. "Grandma Nala once told us that", Sayari mentioned. Kopa saw his opportunity. "Well did she ever tell you about how the dark lord Sauron tried to take over Middle Earth with another ring?"

All of them fell silent. Kopa looked at Kovu and he continued for him. "It all started a long, long time ago when Sauron wanted to take over all of Middle Earth. So he made a ring for himself from the fires of Mount Doom in the land of Mordor, to rule them all. With this ring, he conquered one kingdom after another, and almost got to the Pride Lands too."

The cubs were now engaged. This was going to be an interesting story for them. But for Simba, it was even more intriguing. He had never heard this story before, so how did Kopa and Kovu know it? He wondered if it had anything to do with the ring he had back at Pride Rock. But before he could think about it any longer, Zazu suddenly came flying up to Simba from behind. Simba turned around as he called his name.

"Sire, I'm terribly sorry to interrupt, but there's a group of hyenas that tried to attack the hunting party just by the northern border. You must come quickly!", he said. Simba was with serious business now. He'd have to hear the story later, right now the hunting party was at stake. "I'll be right there."

He turned to Kovu, Kopa and the cubs and said, "I'll be back, I've just gotta take care of something."

The cubs all nodded while Kopa said with some concern, "Be careful dad".

Simba nodded with confidence. As he ran off towards the border, he realized that, although it was years ago, Zazu was right: He really had his chance to chase those slobbering, mainjey, stupid poachers from dawn until dusk.

Back with the cubs, they all turned their attention back to the story. Kovu continued, "As I was saying, Sauron wanted to take over all of Middle Earth, the Pride Lands included. There was nothing stopping him."

He may have gotten a bit dramatic as he said that last part. Kopa then continued for him. "Except... for a last alliance of men and elves. A massive batle took place at Mordor that day, between thousands of men, elves, and orcs all fighting for the ring. The men almost didn't beat Sauron and his armies... until a man named Isildor took up his father's sword and defeated Sauron once and for all. He took the ring, and together with Elrond, they were ready to destroy the ring once and for all."

They paused, leaving the suspense to sink in for the cubs. Sayari asked, "Did they destroy it?"

Kopa looked at Kovu. They both shook their heads. "No, they didn't", Kovu said. The cubs all gasped. Soft mumbles could be heard from them, like "They didn't?", "No, they have to!", and "What happened?"

"I'll tell you what happened", Kovu continued once more. "The Ring possessed Isildor, made him go crazy with power, and he kept it. In fact, that's what the ring does; whoever wears it for a long time, it makes them go insane with power. Now what happened was, the Ring betrayed Isildor, and a group of orcs found and killed him because of it."

Sayari interrupted him. "Do orcs live around here?" He sounded frightened as he asked. Kovu replied, "Oh don't worry about them, Sayari. They live far, far away from here, around Mordor". That seemed to calm him down enough to continue the story. "Anyway", Kopa continued, "So for 25 hundred years, the people of Middle Earth seemed to forget about the ring, because it disappeared into a river. No one found it for a long time, until... a strange, twisted creature named Gollum found it. He took it to the caves in the Misty Mountains, and made him go insane. It transformed him into what legend calls a nasty, insane creature who had the very life sucked out of him by the ring. But the thing is, it abandoned him after 500 years, and left to rejoin with the spirit of Sauron in the form of a huge, fiery eye at Mordor".

He paused again, letting the suspense flow with them once more. Kijani asked, "But... what happened to the ring, dad?"

Kopa replied, "No one knows. To this day, nobody in all of Middle Earth has any idea where it went. It could be anywhere, really."

Kovu didn't plan what he was about to say, but the way Kopa finished up there was just begging for him to say it. He said to the cubs, "It could even be... right here in the Pride Lands." He leaned in on them at that last part.

They were all intrigued by that statement. They all suddenly had the urge to want to find it. Akarudi stood up and said, "Well let's go find it! Where should we start first, uncle Kovu?"

Kopa and Kovu chuckled at the thought. "It's just a myth, kids. There was no real one ring of power.", Kovu replied. Akarudi and the others got confused. "But you said-"

Kopa interrupted. "It's only a story; a legend passed down from generation to generation. Even great-grandpa Mufasa heard it from his father. Besides, if the ring was real, someone would've found it by now."

Akarudi laid back down on the ground, feeling somewhat disappointed that he couldn't ever see the ring for himself. Then Sayari said, "I think Isildor was stupid to keep the ring for himself. He should've destroyed it when he had the chance!"

Amani replied, "Didn't you hear what dad said? Isildor went crazy with power, he wouldn't've given it up. Heck, I don't care if anyone ever finds the ring. It should _stay_ hidden."

Kopa smiled at his nephew and replied, "Interesting that you would think that, Amani, because the ring has another power I didn't mention."

They all turned to Kopa. Amani and Akarudi said together, "What power?"

Kopa replied, "I once heard that whoever puts the ring on can turn invisible". The cubs all stood up at that statement. They were amazed. "Really? It can turn you invisible?", asked Sayari. "Whoa, cool. I wish it were real now.", Kijani said.

"Is there any more to the story dad?", asked Akarudi. Kopa thought for a moment and said, "I'm not sure. I'd have to ask your mother about it later on."

"Yeah, but-"

Kopa interrupted. "That's enough stories for one day, you four. The hunting party is supposed to return soon, the sun's starting to get low now."

They all looked out to the sun. It was beginning to set behind Pride Rock in the distance. They all realized they would have to go back home soon. "We should head back to Pride Rock now. They'll be waiting for us", said Kovu. The others agreed and began to start back home. The four cubs began to scatter. Suddenly, Sayari said to his brother and cousins, "Race you there!" All at once, they four of them sprinted off, laughing and shouting like any growing cubs would. "Last one there is a rotten orc!", Kijani shouted. Kopa and Kovu looked upon them with happiness as they ran in the distance. Kovu sighed.

"They always race back, don't they?", Kovu said to himself. Kopa replied, "They're just energetic, you know what that's like."

Kovu nodded and said, "Yeah... by the way Kopa, how _did_ that story ever end?"

As they talked, they started walking side by side towards Pride Rock, following their cubs.

Kopa replied, "I'm honestly not sure. I was kind of hoping you would know. After all, Vitani's your sister, wouldn't she have told you by now?".

Kovu said to him, "No, she hasn't, actually. Says she doesn't even know. She first told it to me it when we were living in the outlands. It was a few nights after Kiara and I first met."

Just the mention of his mate's name made him want to start daydreaming about their first encounter. She had bumped into him by a bog, alligators came up attacked them, nearly slashed them with their jaws, ran with all their might, and had just barely gotten away with their lives. Ah, memories.

Kopa grinned at his brother-in-law. "You always get daydreamy when you mention her."

Kovu turned to him and said, "I just love her so much... she's more gorgeous than the most beautiful of the elves."

Kopa softly chuckled at that comment. "I can relate. Vitani is the best thing to happen to me in my entire life. Even if it did almost get me killed... it was worth it."

* * *

Back at Pride Rock, all of the cubs were exhausted from their little race. They were still catching their breath from all of that running and name calling from before. Amani ended up winning the race, but he was never one to brag about such things. It was just a good thing that Sayari didn't win; he would've been rubbing it in all of their faces for a solid week.

"When's dad gonna get back?", asked Kijani.

"Someone go out and see if they're here yet", said Sayari in a laid back, casual sort of way. At first, no one did. But eventually, Kijani decided to check for herself. She got up off the ground and went out of the cave to see where Kopa and Kovu were. She squinted as she looked out to the increasingly darkening skies.

"They'll be here soon, I think", she shouted back to them. She sighed as she walked to the very back of the cave. When she got there, she slumped herself down, still exhausted from the race. When she hit the ground, her body disturbed some of the rocks and gravel which made them spill to the ground. However, when they did, the rocks revealed something shiny that caught Kijani's eye. Something golden in color. She stood back up and pushed away a few more stones until she could see what was making the reflection. When she did, she gasped loud enough for everyone else to hear. They all looked over to see what was wrong.

"I-is something wrong, Kijani?", asked Akarudi. She stared down at the ground for a moment. The other cubs, still scattered around the cave, all stood up and crowded around Kijani with curiosity. They looked down at what she was staring at, and simultaneously all gasped as well. Overwhelmed and amazed didn't even scratch the surface of what they were feeling. Could it be true? Was it real? No, Kopa said that it was only a story. It was just a story... right?

* * *

Kopa and Kovu approached Pride Rock. They climbed up the slope like they usually did, and went into the cave. When they did, they saw the cubs gathering around the back of the cave, looking down at something. They didn't know what it was all about.

"Hey, what's going on here?", Kovu asked the group. Suddenly, Sayari turned his head back and saw his father and Kopa. He called to them, "Dad! Uncle Kopa! Come see this, you won't believe it!"

They both took a few steps closer to them. They knew there was nothing at the back of the cave... that they knew of.

"What is it, Sayari?", asked Kovu. As a response, the four cubs backed off from the spot they were looking down upon and showed them to see for themselves. Kopa and Kovu both walked up to the spot, and they gasped. They must've stared at it for a good minute and a half. How could it be? This was impossible, it couldn't be real.

"Is it?... is it really?..."

"Vitani said it was just a myth!".

They almost couldn't put into words what they were looking at; the small, circular, golden object that grew shiny in the late day sunset.

"Is it?..."

"...It's..."

Kijani finished for them. "It's the one ring of power!"


	4. Distant Memories

**Author's Note: I typed this chapter at around 2 in the morning, so this might be just a little clunky and uneven on my end. If it is, I'll revise it as soon as I can. Don't be afraid to tell me about any errors in this chapter, I need to know.**

* * *

**Chapter IV: Distant Memories**

Simba treaded up the slope of Pride Rock like he usually did. The sun was well into setting now, and the day was beginning to transform into night. Once he got up to the den, he looked out behind him to see if the hunting party was on their way. He saw that they were approaching with the day's kill- Kiara was dragging an antelope against the ground by its leg, Vitani and Nala had caught a zebra, and were carrying it together because of its size. And some of the other lionesses were carrying along similar kills as well. Simba sighed with happiness. Another successful hunt. Suddenly, he remembered that Kopa, Kovu and the cubs were in the den, so he walked in. Maybe he could hear the rest of that story from Kopa about the ring.

The timing for that thought couldn't've been worse.

He saw all of them sitting together near the middle of the den, looking down at something Kovu was holding. Simba made a face and didn't know what to make of it.

"Kovu? Kopa?... what's-"

As he said that, Kopa turned his head back and saw his father. Good. He ran towards him and stopped. He looked quite uneasy, as if something had been troubling him for some time now.

"Dad, thank God you're here. Take a look at this!", Kopa said quickly. He ran over to the rest of the group, waiting for Simba to follow. Kovu moved out of the way so that he could see what Kovu had clutched in his paw. Simba walked up to him, and looked down. He regretted it a second later. "_No. No! It couldn't be! How did they find it? How long did they know_?" Many thoughts raced through his mind in that moment. He had a stunned expression on his face, realizing that the secret he had been able to keep his entire life was now shattered.

"Dad, we think it's the Ring of Power from the story we told earlier. Kijani found it in the back of the cave buried beneath some rocks.", Kopa explained. Now he knew for sure this was the ring.

"Do you know where it came from?", asked Kovu. At first Simba was silent. He didn't know how to answer. It was his ring, the one he'd known since childhood. He wanted to answer, but something stopped him. Something... a strange force, even, was attracting him to the ring; made him want to keep it forever. It was a precious ring... _his_ precious.

"Simba? Are you okay?", Kovu asked. He almost seemed to be in some sort of trance from the ring. Kopa waved his paw in front of his father's face, but he still continued to stare down at the ring. At this point, Kovu clutched it back into his paw and moved it away from Simba. That seemed to snap him out of it. He got his sense of reality back and looked around for a brief moment. Kopa looked down at the four cubs and said, "Kids, you'd better go tell the hunting party about this. Kovu and I have to talk to grandpa Simba about this, alright?". He sounded quite concerned about it. The cubs nodded, and they all scattered out of the cave and ran for the lionesses to alert them about the ring. And for once, none of them challenged the others to a race. Now it was serious.

Simba sighed and prepared to give the best answer he could. "I... Yes, I know this ring."

Kopa and Kovu grew worried for him now. "How did you know about it? Did someone tell you the story too?", asked Kopa. Simba shook his head.

"No, it wasn't the story, I... know the ring. I just..."

Simba sighed. How was he going to explain this?

"What? What is it Simba?", asked Kovu again. Simba looked at him , and then looked to the ground and closed his eyes.

"Kovu... do you remember the first day I let you stay in the Pride Lands after the fire accident?"

Kovu was caught off guard by this. Why was he bringing that up all of a sudden?

"Yeah, of course I do. Why?"

Simba sighed again, this time softer. "Well on that morning, I went to get a drink from the water hole like I usually do. But soon after I did, I-"

Suddenly, he was interrupted by the shriek of his name from just outside the cave entrance. He knew it was Kiara. She ran in with concern and stopped just in front of him. He turned around to face her.

"Daddy, what's wrong? The cubs told me that you were in trouble... and that they found some sort of ring."

Simba looked at his daughter with some sadness. First Kopa, now this. How many more secrets was he going to have to keep from her? Soon, the other lionesses came in one by one, starting with Nala. Vitani soon followed. The two lionesses came together with their mates with much concern. Nala especially.

"Simba, what's wrong? Are you hurt?", she asked. Simba shook his head. Vitani, who was nuzzling with Kopa, looked up to him. "What's going on, Kopa? Is it true? Is the ring really here?"

The timing couldn't've been better when she said that. At that moment, the cubs all came back into the cave. Sayari shouted, "The ring! We found the one Ring of Power!"

Kovu was nervous now. He was still hiding the ring under his paw, and the last thing he wanted was for everyone else to see it. But if common sense was any factor, that wouldn't be very long from now.

Simba, amongst the confusion, cleared his throat as best as he could, and began to speak to the pride.

"Listen everyone", he started. The pride grew quiet after this. Simba continued. "I know there's a lot of confusion right now about a rumored ring that was here at Pride Rock. If we'll just get into an organized circle around me and Kovu, I'll attempt to answer you all". He put a little bit of emphasis on "attempt". Slowly but surely, the pride organized themselves to form sort of a circle around Simba. Kopa and Vitani went to his right, with Akarudi and Kijani staying close to them. Kiara and Kovu were to Simba's left, and were staying close to Sayari and Amani. Eventually, everything quieted down as the lions and lionesses all waited to hear Simba's explanation. He hesitated slightly, but he pressed on.

"Listen... who here has heard the story of Sauron and how he created a ring to rule all others, to take control of Middle Earth?"

Most of the pride members nodded yes or verbally replied "I have" to Simba, along with a few other mumbles about it here and there. It wasn't until now that Simba noticed Zazu within the circle around him, looking worried and confused at the same time. Reluctantly, Simba continued.

"If you know the story, you'll know that after the ring abandoned Gollum, its whereabouts became unknown to this day. Well... they are not unknown anymore."

The pride members made gasps and other mumbles at this comment. Could Simba really be referring to what they thought he was? Simba turned to Kovu.

"Kovu... show them.", he said softly. Slowly, Kovu looked around as he lifted his paw up off the ground, revealing the golden, featureless ring, still reflecting in the late day sunlight. When the pride saw the ring, the reaction was a mix of shock and horror. No, it couldn't be! The ring was only supposed to be a story. They had just been proven wrong.

"This... is the one ring Sauron used to try and take control of Middle Earth over three thousand years ago. When I was a young cub, I found this ring near the edge of the Pride Lands while I was on one of my old, uh... adventures. It intrigued me enough to want to keep it... and I did. My father never discovered it, Scar never discovered it... even you're all discovering it for the first time. I kept it my entire life... through everything".

Right when he said that, a sudden shock of realization struck Nala like lightning. Until now, she was squinting down at the ring, trying to figure it out. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had seen that ring once before, like something out of a distant memory. But now, once Simba mentioned it was never discovered, it made total sense. How could she not have remembered it? She recalled it now, clear as day.

"Simba, that's not entirely accurate.", she spoke up. Everyone was confused by this statement. What was Nala talking about? She walked a few steps closer to Simba, and she began to speak loudly enough so that everyone else could hear.

"Simba, much like you, I know this ring too."

Simba grew worried. "W-what? how do you-?"

He was cut off when Nala powerfully explained. "This was the ring Scar was wearing when he destroyed the Pride Lands."

Everyone gasped at this. The shock and horror across all of their faces was almost too much to bear for the two of them. Simba was also mortified. Scar had always been a difficult subject to discuss with anyone, but now he had to whether he liked it or not.

"Nala... what do you mean?"

She continued, "Within days after Scar took control, my mother and I were talking about how he was the new king with the other lionesses. And some of the things they said were... disturbing for a cub my age. but right then Scar walked into this cave, and I looked at him. I was scared, but then I looked down at his paws when I saw something shiny on one of them. I only saw it for the briefest second, but I could tell it was a ring of some sort. Soon, Scar began to go insane. Once Zira became his queen, she didn't fare much better. Not long before I left to find you, he started having maniacal outbursts about some sort of fiery eye, and he kept talking about "his precious". At the time, I didn't know what that precious could've been... but now I think I know."

For a solid ten seconds, the cave fell deathly quiet. It was so quiet, it was unnatural. Breathing seemed to temporarily stop. It was almost unearthly how quiet it fell after Nala's speech. Finally, Simba broke the eerie silence.

"You mean... you mean this is how Scar destroyed the Pride Lands?... with this?" he said, picking up the ring with his claws.

"Yes. I must've been the only one who saw it."

The silence continued for a brief moment. Simba whispered to himself softly, "So _that's_ how Scar ravaged the Pride Lands so badly."

"There's more, Simba", Nala continued. "The story says that whoever has the ring lives unnaturally long. And Scar was the same age from your birth to the day of his death. And if he had the ring..."

Nala trailed off after that. Simba could figure the rest out for himself. If Scar was the same age forever, he would still be ruling the Pride Lands alive and well had he not returned. He pondered several thoughts deeply. How did Scar get a hold of the ring? He must've found it in the hiding spot. Did he hide it there as well? And if he was able to control the ring, did the hyenas get to it too? Did Zira ever know about it?

His thoughts were interrupted when Zazu flew over and landed in front of him. He said, "Sire, perhaps it's best we have an emergency meeting about the matter at once. If the ring is as powerful as the myth implies, it cannot stay in the Pride Lands."

Simba nodded in agreement. "You're right, Zazu." He turned to everyone else, who were now blankly staring at him. "Everyone, I've called an emergency meeting about the ring. All of you, gather around the edge of Pride Rock so we can discuss this in further detail".

Soon, everyone started to scatter out of the cave and to the meeting place just outside of it. Soft mumbles and passionate concerns were heard from the lionesses. Nala was sitting by Simba's side, trying to comfort him as best as she could. Kiara, Kovu, Sayari and Amani all passed by them on their way out. Kiara gave Simba a look of worried sadness. Kovu did the same. After they walked by, Kopa, Vitani, Akarudi and Kijani went by them as well. As they did, Kopa got close to Simba and whispered, "I'm sorry dad."

At first, Simba didn't know what Kopa was apologizing for. He had done nothing wrong, he only discovered the ring. Perhaps he considered it a burden that he was among the first to discover it. Simba couldn't blame him. And as for Scar's reign, it was all making sense. Hyenas, even at their worst, could never ravage a land so badly as to nearly drive its population to total starvation. And Scar... he was making sense, too. Both he and Zira were completely insane during their time as rulers. Simba always assumed that it was because Scar grew mad with power as king, but now he knew it had more to do with the ring. And his age... Simba always considered it strange that he looked and sounded precisely the same as he did the last time he had spoken to him following Mufasa's murder. But now, if the ring's power of long lasting life was accurate, it made sense. With that ring, death would not have been a challenge for his time as king. He could've continued to rule indefinitely if it weren't for Nala escaping to find help. If starvation hadn't gotten to him, insanity would've.

But there was something else on Simba's mind regarding the ring. With any odds, the pride was most definitely going to agree that it should be either destroyed or hidden. But as evil and unnaturally powerful as he knew the ring was, Simba couldn't let that happen. The ring was too precious for him to lose. It was his to keep forever... _his precious_.

Although he had somehow managed to keep it under control for so long, the insanity was starting to set in...


	5. The Fellowship of the Pride

**Author's Note: This chapter makes several references to the events of The Hobbit. I've never seen or read The Hobbit, so if there's any inaccuracies here regarding that, I apologize in advance. **

* * *

**Chapter V: The Fellowship of the Pride**

Nightfall had spread across the Pride Lands. The stars, or the great kings of the past as they called them, were brighter than the lions had ever seen them before. There was not a cloud in the sky, only a soft, gentle breeze flowing through the air, whisping around the tall grass. The river-waters were like crystals reflecting in the full moon, undeterred by the breeze. The moonlight gleamed across the water perfectly, creating an unbelievably majestic view that could only come from The Pride Lands of Middle Earth.

If it weren't for The One Ring of Power at stake here, it would've been one of the most beautiful nights of recent memory.

The Pride Landers were all gathered around the long slope that made up Pride Rock's edge. They were all arranged in two rows, a similar way as they once were with the marriage of Kiara and Kovu (and later Kopa and Vitani), with Simba standing and facing them all down the middle of them all. And in the center of the two rows was none other than the ring itself. It was no longer shining from the sun, but it was still clearly visible against the ground in front of them all. Nala was by Kopa and Vitani's side trying to comfort them and their cubs. Akarudi and Kijani were almost scared of the ring given what it could do, not that either of them would admit that, of course. All of the lionesses were nervously chattering to one another about the ring, sharing many thoughts on the matter to one another. Why had Simba kept it? How long did he have it? Had anyone else-specifically Mufasa- known about it? Nala was mostly keeping quiet about the matter. If there was any time Simba didn't need any comments coming from her, it was now. He needed to be focused enough to make a thorough decision about this.

Simba had an uncertain look upon his face as the last of the lionesses got into place. The king's majordomo, Zazu was by his side on the ground. Simba leaned to his side to speak to him.

"Are they on their way?", he asked. He was referring to his friends Timon and Pumbaa, the warthog and meerkat who had essentially raised him during his teenage and young adult years after the murder of Mufasa. After the marriage of Kiara and Kovu, the two of them left the Pride Lands, as they wanted to start families of their own back in the jungle, inspired by Kiara and Kovu. They would sometimes visit their old friend from time to time, typically to have good times with the cubs for old times' sake. Their last visit was two weeks after Vitani had given birth to Akarudi and Kijani. Seeing Kopa was alive that day was the best surprise of their lives.

Zazu replied, "They said they would be here as soon as they could, sire. In fact they should be nearing the Pride Lands as we speak", he replied. Simba sighed. The meeting was going to have to start without them. This simply couldn't wait another second. Soon, the pride got quiet, waiting for their king to speak. Shortly after, he did.

"May I have your attention please", he said to them all. Now the deathly silence from before was back for the briefest time. Simba, breaking the silence, continued. "As you all know, the One Ring of Power had fallen into my possession many years ago, and now I think it's clear it can't stay in the Pride Lands. We need to discuss and agree on what to do with it."

Soft chatter bean to arise from the lionesses again. Simba could make out some of it, but just barely. They were saying things like "It has to be destroyed", and "We need to take it as far away from here as possible".

He continued, walking closer to the ring, "We need to know as much about it as possible before we decide on anything. This is what we know for sure: Scar once used this ring to destroy the Pride Lands two generations ago, nearly wiping out all life here. According to the story, the ring has the power to turn whoever wears it invisible, and if Gollum is any indication, it causes unnatural long life and insanity as well."

He let the pride talk it out some more. From what they were saying, it sounded as it they were going to all reach the same conclusion. Soon, one of the lionesses from the hunting party took a few steps closer to Simba, and she said to him, "Simba, what if we simply cast it into a river? According to the myth, that's how it went missing for two and a half thousand years, perhaps it'll work again."

Simba shook his head. "That won't be good enough. The ring cannot stay here in the Pride Lands, or anywhere near them".

It was then that Simba looked down at the ring once more. It was the brightest thing on the ground, even though it was the middle of night time. It was almost as it it was staring right into his very soul, consuming him. But Simba quickly snapped out of it, growing determined not to go the way of Isildor from so long ago.

Soon, one of the lionesses named Manjano emerged from the group and in front of Simba. Her fur color was predominantly yellowish orange, and had deep yellow eyes as well. She said to Simba,

"What if this is a gift?"

The entire pride was silenced at this statement. All of the lionesses stared blankly at her, as if she was the craziest being in existence. She looked around at the confused expressions, and turned towards them all, ready to explain herself.

"Think about it. This ring can bring whoever bears it not only everlasting life, but invisiblility too. If we use it correctly, we can create a better world for everyone in the Pride Lands. We can spot and attack enemies without being sighted, it'll make the hunting for the lionesses much easier, and after king Simba steps down, Kopa can remain king forever. We won't have to worry about any more tyrants like Scar for all eternity."

Almost immediately, more chatter and talk emerged from the pride. The feelings about the ring were certainly mixed at this point. Manjano looked over at Kiara and Kovu. They were the only ones who weren't saying a word about the subject. Instead, they both looked disgusted at what she had said. They couldn't believe that she was seriously suggesting keeping the same ring that had nearly destroyed all of Middle Earth 3,000 years previously. Through the seemingly mindless talking, Kovu took a few steps closer to Manjano, still looking appalled at her.

He said, "Manjano, you can't seriously be thinking that. Don't you know what this ring's caused? How many were killed? We don't know how many people's blood could be on this ring without us even knowing about it. And in the story, they say that whoever possesses it goes insane about it. If we kept this, who's telling that we won't all kill each other over it?"

Although light chatter was still going on, the pride was more or less quieted down at what Kovu had said. Despite the positives about keeping it, he was right. The ring was too dangerous to keep for even another day. kovu looked at her through the dark of night, with a look that said it all. Manjano nodded.

"... You're right. The ring can't stay here."

With that, she went back to her original position within the other nameless lionesses around Pride Rock's promontory. Kovu looked back behind him at Kiara. She gave him a look that appeared to be of honor. She had never heard her mate talk like this before. Kovu then shot a quick look at Simba. Simba looked upon him with a nearly identical expression as Kiara's. Hearing him talk in that manner was new for him as well. It showed that Kovu really understood the situation, the way it was meant to be understood. However, although it appeared differently at the time, perhaps none of them truly understood the situation as well as they would not even a day from then.

* * *

While the talking and occasional argument continued to go down within the rest of the pride, Kiara emerged from the group and approached her father. She looked worried, like from before. Simba noticed this and said to her, "What is it Kiara?"

She replied, "Daddy, why didn't you ever tell us about this? We could've taken care of the ring years ago... why did you keep it?"

Simba sighed and looked to his right. "Kiara, I found it when I was just a cub. I had no knowledge of the myth of Sauron back then. If I'd known..."

Simba was cut off when the talking and discussions of the ring had stopped. The silence was back yet again for a moment. Simba didn't know why for a moment, but then Nala approached Simba. Now, the ring was in between the two of them.

"Simba, I think we've reached a decision on what to do with the ring.", she said firmly. Simba was hesitant to ask what it was, since he already knew what she was going to say. Hesitantly, he asked, "What have you decided?" When he said it. it sounded more as a statement than a question. Nala replied, with some power in her voice, "The pride has unanimously decided that... the ring must be destroyed."

Simba thought that over. How would they destroy it? Could it even be destroyed? Would they have to take it to Gondor? Rohan? Perhaps they could take it to Rivendell and let the elves handle it. Putting his thoughts aside for a moment, he asked Nala, "How would we do that?"

Suddenly, Vitani took a few steps towards Simba and she spoke up. She said to Simba, "If the myth is accurate, then the ring can't be destroyed by any of the weapons or fires of Middle Earth. The only way to destroy it would be to... cast it back into the heart of Mount Doom, where it was forged."

Simba, a few other lionesses and Kopa simultaneously gasped. She couldn't be serious. "What? You mean all the way to Mordor?"

Vitani reluctantly and slowly nodded. "It's the only way. Besides Mount Doom, the ring has no weaknesses."

Silence fell over the pride for one last time. Out of all the kingdoms in Middle Earth, Mordor was not only the farthest away from the Pride Lands, but also the most deadly.

If hell truly existed, Mordor was the closest thing to it. Mount Doom was the tallest mountain there, with constant smoke and ash pouring out of it endlessly, blocking out the sky with the poisonous fumes and ash clouds that had choked the skies for as long as any in Middle Earth could remember. It had created an ominous red glow from the peak that could be seen for miles around. Mordor was also populated with cliff sides, rough and course hills created by the very same molten lava the ring had been forged from. But worst of all, was perhaps the enormous armies of orcs and who knew what else were the only living inhabitants there. Being on Sauron's side, the orcs in the armies were so cruel, ruthless and unforgiving, they would've made Zira look like the kindest being alive. In short, Mordor was the closest thing any living being had ever been to hell. It was impossible. There would be no way they could survive.

Simba thought deeply over all this and was even considering throwing it into the river like the lioness from before had suggested, but then something else came across the king's train of thought: What if the hyenas got a hold of the ring during Scar's reign? Did they know of its existence? If they did, there was no telling how badly they had abused whatever powers the ring held within it. Or worse, had Zira ever gotten a hold of the ring? Did she become corrupted by it as well, like her mate Scar? That certainly would've explained a lot, but just how insane would one become while in posession of it? Simba had kept it for his entire life, so it certainly it took longer than any lion's life span. But then again, Simba had spent half his life in the jungle, away from its presence. Worse still, what if word broke out about Simba's own possession of it, to places like Rohan, Rivendell, or Moria? Would the race of men, who always desired power, come and try to take it? Try to destroy the Pride Lands to get it? If that happened, God only knew how many times the fate of Isildor would repeat itself. And on top of all this, Simba considered a rumor he had recently heard the other day from a group of giraffes: Though it was only rumor, they said that Sauron, even after defeat, was able to keep his corrupted soul in Middle Earth, and had been regaining his power and strength at Mordor in the form of a vicious, fiery eye atop a massive tower that guarded Mount Doom. If that were true, the ring was all that was needed for Sauron to reclaim his power and cause a second dark age to consume and devour the world forever.

That right there did it for Simba. The stakes were just too high. Even though they were only lions, and could not bear the same weapons that men or elves could, there was only one choice.

After one final moment of thought, Simba sighed. "If it's the only way..."

Shocked by what Simba was deciding, Nala chose to speak up. She said to her mate, "Simba... you don't just simply walk into Mordor, you know how dangerous it is."

Simba said to her, "I know, Nala. It's not gonna be easy. That's why-"

Before he could finish, Kopa spoke up from behind Vitani. She turned herself towards him as he spoke. "Vitani... how do you know it's the only way? How do you know so much about the myth?"

Vitani replied, "Kopa... I've known the story since childhood. I even almost told it to you once."

Kopa asked her, "But from who? Who told it to you?"

Vitani hesitated and thought back to her cub years. She thought hard, and initially came up with nothing. But just as she was about to say she didn't know, a distant memory struck her. She remembered.

"I... I heard it from a hobbit who once strayed into the Pride Lands when we were young. He said his name was... Bilbo Baggins, I think.", she said. Kopa was surprised to hear an answer like that. Was she referring to the same Bilbo Baggins he was thinking of?

Kopa asked, "Vitani, do you mean the same Bilbo Baggins who slayed Smaug at the Lonely Mountain so long ago?"

Vitani nodded and then replied, "He mentioned that he was on an adventure of some sort. I remember Gandalf the Grey and a bunch of dwarves were with him."

After a brief silence, Vitani turned back to Simba. Hearing all this, he realized that the story was authentic. There was no questioning it now. He looked up to his pride, who returned the same look of concern. Finally, after some hesitation, he spoke once more.

"So it looks like we have no other choice. We need to take the ring to Mordor and destroy it, so that it won't corrupt any more minds like it did with Gollum... or Scar." That last part he said to himself, not that the others didn't hear it.

Soon, Nala spoke up to Simba. "But Simba, who would be willing to go all the way to Mordor? I once heard a rumor that the eye of Sauron sits on top of a massive tower that guards Mount Doom... a massive, fiery eye that can see all of Middle Earth. I'm not sure it can be done."

One of the lionesses spoke up to her now. She said it in a very nasty and rude way. Clearly the ring's power knew no bounds. "Didn't you just hear what Simba said? The ring has to be destroyed!"

Nala shot a nasty glare at her. "So I suppose you're the one to do it?"

Suddenly, another lioness emerged from the group. She said, "And what if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what's his?"

Nala took a few steps closer to her, still retaining that glare she was giving. "I'd sooner be dead than see _you_ do it!"

Suddenly, an unprecedented argument began to arise within the pride. Some of the lionesses began to bicker about who was stronger than who, who was faster than who, or who was braver than who. Simba just watched as the bickering began to rise in tension. Kiara was ow arguing with another lioness about who should take the ring, while Kovu was attempting to stop the arguments, not that it worked. Soon, Nala realized the pointlessness of this and ended any bickering she may have taken part of up to then and walked back over to Simba. The king could tell things were about to get ugly, so he also tried to calm things down.

"Please, I need you all to quiet down! This isn't how to resolve this!"

His cries went almost unheard through the crowd, which was beginning to scatter. Lionesses began to get up and continue their arguments face to face. It was starting to get rough now, and Nala had to hide the cubs behind her paws in case things got nasty.

While all this was going on, a certain lion was looking down upon the ring in the center of all the arguing. The sounds around him seemed to fall silent as he looked upon the ring. His breathing was rapidly growing in speed. The corruption of the ring was already taking hold upon him, as there seemed to be fire emerging from the ring now. This could only be seen by the one staring down upon it, and soon clear thought had utterly left his mind. It could only be heard by him, but a deathly ominous chant in a low pitched whisper began to emerge from it.

_Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,  
Ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul._

He had no idea what it meant, but it frightened him to think of what it could be. The lion could bear this no longer. Furiously, he ripped his gaze away from the ring, and walked to the center of them all. Suddenly, when the debates got to their highest point, his voice from within the crowd spoke up. He said the same sentence two times until the crowd got quiet as they heard what he was saying.

"I will take the ring!"

He repeated that statement one more time, which quieted everyone down to silence. They were all shocked, blankly staring at him. Who was volunteering to do such a mammoth task like this? They all stepped back from the voice it was coming from:

Kopa.

"I will take the ring into Mordor."

No one could believe it, especially Simba and Vitani. Could he really be serious about this?

Nala started, "Kopa... You can't-"

He cut her off. "Mom, if the ring has to be destroyed, I won't back down. You two already went through hell and back while I was gone for so many years, I won't have you go through the same thing again. I'll go to Mordor on my own... I won't endanger any of you more than you need to be.", he said.

Things got quiet again, but not at all like the silence from before, mostly because the breathing from everyone else had suddenly gotten heavier. Simba couldn't stand hearing his own son talk like this, so he said, "No, Kopa! I won't let you carry a burden this big. I already lost you once... I'm not going to let it happen again."

Kopa stared at his father. He looked almost annoyed at Simba's statement. "Dad... You're not strong enough to survive the journey, not on your own. An besides, I've been able to survive out there in the wild once before... I can do it again."

Simba tried to find something to say, but found himself at a loss for words. Kopa was right. The one time Simba was out in the wild on his own, he nearly died in the desert. Kopa on the other hand, managed to live half his life out in the same environment without ever coming to a single village or settlement of any kind. And also, Simba considered that his own age could be a setback in reaching Mordor alive. He was no longer able to hunt like he once could. Granted, his appetite for bugs had yet to wear off from his years in the jungle, that didn't change the fact that he needed to hunt living meat, and he was nearing the age where he could no longer do so. However, if Kopa was going to do what he says he was, Simba was willing to try his life for his own son. Even if this journey ends up killing him, at least it would be for a noble cause. He sighed, and then looked at his son with some sadness. Kopa returned the look. Finally, Simba said, "If you're going to do this, I'll go with you too. You're going to need some help out there too, you know."

Kopa smiled at his father. Now this was the Simba he knew- willing to get into danger for the sake of an adventure. Suddenly, another voice spoke up from behind them- Vitani's.

"If you're going, I won't leave you alone on this, Kopa."

She walked up to him and smiled. The two mates nuzzled passionately together for a moment.

"Thank you", he whispered to her. When they finished, another voice was heard- Kiara's.

"Kopa, I'll help you too."

She walked up to him. "You're my brother, I lost so many years with you after Zira's attack... now I'm willing to make up for that.", she said firmly. Kopa smiled again at her. He knew his only sister would never back out from an adventure. Seemed to be another thing that ran in the family.

Kovu was the next one to speak. "If Kiara goes, I'll be there to protect her..."

He walked up to his mate, and looked at her. Kiara smiled. "...Every step of the way." Simba smiled at this. He knew he made the right choice in letting him be with his daughter. He would never back out if it meant protecting her.

Nala, being Simba's mate, also felt the need to walk to him. She said to him, "Simba... on the day we had Kopa, I said I'll always be willing to protect you both from death... I'm ready to back that up now."

Simba smiled passionately at his mate. Nala returned the smile. They nuzzled together as the others watched. If there was any night they could feel the love, this was most definitely it.

Their moment was interrupted, however, by yet another voice.

"We're with you too, buddy!"

This time, it wasn't one from the pride. It came from the slope of Pride Rock. Simba and the others looked over at who it was, and they saw- to their surprise- Timon and Pumbaa. They had arrived at last. Timon was on top of Pumbaa's head like he always was, using his ears to hold on. Simba smiled at his friends and walked over to greet them.

"Timon! Pumbaa! You made it!", he said. Timon then jumped off of Pumbaa's head and onto the ground in front of Simba.

"At your service, mileage.", Pumbaa said with some effort, while bowing to Simba. Just like old times.

Timon looked up to Simba and said, "That uh, bird of yours says you need us to help out with something. We won't let you down, buddy.", he said genuinely. Simba smiled once more. As laid back and relaxed as they usually were nowadays, they were still the same Timon and Pumbaa he had known since that day in the desert.

"Thanks, guys. I knew I could count on you.", he said.

With that, Simba turned back to the pride. "Everyone, it looks like we're about ready to set off. I don't know if any of us will ever return, and I know there's a whole kingdom here, so that's why while we're off, I'm leaving Zazu in charge here."

Zazu then walked up to Simba. "Sire, I will do everything in my power to maintain the monarchy during your quest... I wish you the best of luck your majesty... Simba".

Simba smiled at that. He hadn't heard Zazu call him by name in a long time. Simba looked back up at the pride and looked at one of the lionesses- a particularly light colored one with bright orange eyes, which was quite rare for Pride Landers.

"Nadra, do you think you can manage the cubs while we're off?"

The creamy light Nadra sat up straight, ready to answer. "I'll do everything I can to keep them safe, Simba"., she said with confidence.

Simba continued at her, "Until my return, I want you to take them to The Shire. If we fail, whatever kills us is almost certainly going to find their way here. It's not far west from here, and the cubs will be safe enough so that they'll be out of harm's way. If I return, I'll send Zazu to tell you when to come back. And if I don't... The Shire will be your new home."

Nadra nodded. "I will, your majesty." She sounded confident as she said it, which reassured Simba a great deal.

Sayari, Amani, Akarudi, and Kijani all scattered and ran up towards their grandfather. They looked sad, as if they'd never see any of them again. They had never heard him talk like this before. It was very frightening for them.

"Grandpa, when will you be back? I want to come with you", said Amani. Simba looked down at the young cub. He answered, "It might not be for a while, Amani. We have to do something very big here, and you can't get hurt by coming with us... alright?"

Amani slowly nodded. He understood he might not ever see his grandfather again. Kiara and Kovu then went towards their cubs. Kopa and Vitani did the same, ready to say their good-byes,

"I love you mommy", Sayari said to Kiara. She was holding back tears as she gently laid her paw on her son's tuft of fur. "Be good for me and daddy, okay, Sayari?"

He replied, "I will." Amani then joined in just as Kovu did. Kovu held his son in his paws, never taking him off the ground. Even though it was dark out, he could see his son clear as day. "Promise me you won't get into trouble, okay Amani?", said Kovu. His son replied, "I promise". Within moments, Sayari and Amani switched places as Amani said good bye to his mother, while Sayari did the same with his father. Soft, flowing tears could just barely be seen running down all of their faces.

With Kopa and Vitani, it was a similar scene. Kopa clutched his daughter in his paws, knowing he may never see her again. "Kijani, you have to be a good girl while I'm gone, alright?"

Kijani replied, "I will, daddy." Kopa smiled and he softly hugged her. Tears were beginning to show on Kopa's eyes. "You've become a... a beautiful young princess, Kijani. I love you."

With Vitani, she was curling her paw around Akarudi, ruffling it against his golden fur." You have to promise me you'll be a good cub while you're at the Shire, and take care of your sister, okay?", she said to her son. Akarudi replied, "I promise, mom". He looked up to Vitani and said to her, "I hope you and dad can destroy that ring." He sounded soft as he said it. Vitani replied, "I hope so too, Akarudi. If nothing else, we'll do it for you and your Kijani."

Akarudi was brought closer to his mother when she pulled him to her, possibly for the last time. After a little bit had passed, Akarudi and Kijani switched places between their parents to say their good-byes. And while all of this was going down, Simba and Nala were close to one another, watching the cubs and parents embrace one another. A single, small tear ran down Simba's face. It seemed like only yesterday when Simba held Kopa, and later Kiara in his paws like that. Nala rested her head against Simba's mane for comfort. She felt the same way too. From behind them, they hadn't noticed that Timon and Pumbaa had both burst out into tears at these sights with the cubs. But what puzzled Simba at the time, was that it wasn't their usual outburst crying that they did at Kiara's wedding. This time, it looked and sounded very genuine and sincere crying, as if they had lost a family member of some sort. Simba couldn't blame them. With what was going on with the cubs, he expected them to cry. It tore him up to have to see his own children be separated from their own like this. In fact, he was just about ready to call it all off, but he knew he had to persist. There was too much at stake here.

After all the good byes were said, the four cubs went towards Nadra for comfort. She let them all climb up on her head and back so they could rest momentarily. Simba looked to Nadra with a look on his face that said 'I'm counting on you'. Nadra nodded.

Simba then approached the rest of the pride members looking upon the scene. Many of them were nearing tears themselves. Simba then finally spoke up, "Everyone, I know it's a bad time right now, but we've gone through times like this before, so we can survive."

He turned to the others who volunteered to accompany his son. "We need to be strong for a journey like this."

With that, they all mentally prepared themselves once more. They tensed up, and appeared ready to start the perilous quest.

"I'm ready, father", said Kiara. The confidence in her voice was a complete 180 degree turn from how she was not a minute before. Simba looked over at her.

"I'm proud of you, Kiara.", he whispered to his daughter. kiara smiled. If only her father was like that during her cub years.

"So if there will be nothing else, we're ready to begin."

After he said this, Kopa went over to the spot where the ring was resting and picked it up with his claws. He looked at it deeply, as it it were doing to him what it came close to doing with Simba. Quickly, he stopped looking at it and continued to hold it with his sheathed claws. Simba looked back at them one more time. They were ready.

Simba spoke firmly and triumphantly, "We will be known... as the fellowship of the pride!"

Timon jumped back onto Pumbaa's head, grabbing his ears to hold on. He said to Simba, "Great!... So uh, where are we going exactly?"


	6. The Journey Begins

**Chapter VI: The Journey Begins**

Within the hour, the fellowship had began the journey of the ages. At first, it had been somewhat delayed because Timon and Pumbaa had been, well, somewhat unhappy with being talked into going all the way to Mordor. But eventually, Simba had managed to convince the duo to go with them, saying they were going to need all the help they could get. And while the warthog and meerkat were as loyal of friends as the king or anyone else could ask for, they were still very uneasy about going within even a thousand miles of Mount Doom. Ever since childhood, they had both been terrified of Sauron and anything having to do with him. In fact, when Timon was very young, he didn't believe his mother when she said it was only a story, and would lay awake for days on end, just waiting for Sauron to come back and kill him and his entire colony. Now that he and Pumbaa knew it was no myth, it looked as if those days would come crawling back, like it were a poisonous snake, ready to kill its victim at lightning speed.

It was late at night, with the stars still shining bright as ever. The fellowship was steadily treading across the vast plains of the Pride Lands, just alongside a field of tall, green-yellow grass. Kopa, who was leading the group, held the ring within his teeth so he could keep hold of it. Vitani, who was directly to his right, was as nervous as any of them were at that moment. But if the one she loved was going to do this, there was not a chance in Middle Earth that she would not follow. For the inseparable nature of their love had not eroded away since the day they met.

It was silent amongst the group. The only sounds that could be heard were breathing, some soft crickets off in the distance, and running water in a nearby river. But as they continued walking onward, Kopa could hear something coming from Timon; it sounded like he was fiddling around with something. He glanced over at the meerkat, who was on Pumbaa's head like normal, messing around with some long blades of grass. Kopa figured he grabbed them from the field they were walking alongside. Curious, he asked him, "Hey Timon? What're you doing with that grass?"

The meerkat looked up at him and held up some knotted grass for him to see. "I'm making you a grass necklace, so you can hold that ring around your neck. Can't have you holding on to it in your teeth the whole way."

Pumbaa looked up to him and said, "Didn't you say you're making it was so that we're not entirely useless for the group?"

Timon glared at the warthog for a second. As true as it was, he was never going to admit it. "No, that's not what I said. I said it was for Kopa, you know, so he doesn't swallow the ring or something."

"Timon..."

"Shut up", he whispered to Pumbaa. The warthog and the meerkat then glanced over at Kopa. Timon said to him "Hey Kopa, you mind tossing me that ring you got there?"

Kopa shrugged and tossed him the ring from his mouth. It landed in front of him on Pumbaa's head. Being much smaller than any of the others, the ring was far larger to him that it was to Kopa, and heavier too, not that this was a problem though. He put the long string of grass through the hole of the ring, and then carefully tied the two ends together. When they were sturdy enough, he stood up holding the grass, jumped off of Pumbaa's head and onto Kopa's back. He grunted softly as he landed. He went up to Kopa's head and said, "There you are". as he slipped it around his mane. It fit perfectly around his neck, and was much easier to carry now. Kopa looked back at Timon and showed his gratitude. "Thanks Timon, this'll help a lot".

Timon shrugged. "Ah, don't mention it, kiddo."

Kopa then asked him, "Where'd you learn to tie knots like that? I never saw you do it before."

Timon then replied, "Well, Zuri taught me how to do it a while back. Said she got it from a hobbit who strayed into her land once. But, not that I got it right the first hundred times, anyway."

Kopa chuckled softly. Timon always had warm thoughts about Zuri, his mate. Just after Kiara had became pregnant with Sayari and Amani, Timon and Pumbaa both felt the need to start families of their own as well. They had left the pride lands and returned to the lush jungle where Timon's colony resided. There, he met a beautiful female meerkat by the name of Zuri, and within a month, they were married. They had talked about having children for quite some time now, but on this night, they both decided it would have to wait for this.

Kopa asked another question of Timon. "How are things between you and her going, anyway?"

Timon replied, "Ah, things are going great, buddy. Me and her, we're ready to start a family together."

Kopa replied, "That's great, Timon. I'm happy for you."

Simba, who had been listening in on this conversation from behind, said to the meerkat, "Yeah, good luck with everything, Timon."

Timon mumbled to himself, "Yeah, I'm gonna need it."

The conversation ended after that. The silence had returned. With each step they all took, it almost seemed to get quieter and quieter. Aside from the river water not too far away, the sound of their breathing was the loudest thing at the time. It was almost eerie. Kiara and Kovu, who were at the back of the group, glanced at each other with uncertainty. Trouble had always managed to find a way into their lives, but this was something entirely different.

Minutes later, the fellowship had approached the border of the Pride Lands. They were all feeling nervously anxious and uneasy as they stepped over the limit of the king's domain. One by one, they all stepped over the limit of the Pride Lands. But once Kiara and Kovu got to it, Kiara stopped dead in her tracks, looking very nervous. Kovu took a few steps more before he looked back at her. He was puzzled by her worried look. He took a step closer to her and asked, "Kiara, what is it?"

His mate replied, "Kovu... if I take one more step, it'll be the farthest I've ever been from home."

Simba, who was watching this for a moment, suddenly felt a trickle of guilt come over him. Besides Kiara, every one of them had been beyond the Pride Lands. Heck, Timon and Pumbaa were born away from Pride Rock. But Kiara had hardly ever seen the world beyond her own birthplace. Simba felt guilty. She deserved to see the world, but in a better context than he or Nala had.

Kovu walked over to Kiara and nuzzled her softly. "Come on... I'll be with you", he whispered to her. Kiara looked up to her mate with some newfound confidence about the situation. She smiled, and then proceeded to step over the limit of her father's domain. As she did, she felt a surge of freedom and independence move through her body. She felt thoroughly alive to finally leave her home for the first time. Once she did, Kovu nuzzled her again. The journey had now truly begun.

* * *

Now there was no going back. While they continued to walk, Kopa was thinking deeply about something. Because he was the ring-bearer, he felt as if it should be affecting him more, but for some reason, it wasn't that bad for him. He felt surprisingly fine carrying the ring, like it was no big deal. The ring was attached to a thick grass necklace around Kopa's neck. If his father could have the ring for his entire life and not be affected by it (as far as he knew, at least), then he could carry it long enough to take it to Mordor. The problem, though, was that Mordor was on the other end of Middle Earth. Kopa began to think about all the kingdoms and villages that they would have to cross to get there: Bree, Rohan, The Misty Mountains, Gondor, just to name a few. And if he had the ring of power, what were the odds that they would get all the way there without attracting any unwanted attention to themselves? For all he knew, someone could've been watching them at that very moment. Someone- or something- could've been following them without even knowing about it. He didn't want to think about it any longer. It was making him sick.

All across from them? Dusty rock plains, and sand. Beyond the Pride Lands, there was hardly any settlements or inhabitants until the Shire and Bree, and that was still a huge distance away from there. This was a plain of Middle Earth that many referred to as the African desert. The origin of the name had been lost for generations, but many believed that other than Mordor, it was the most desolate and uninhabitable stretch of land there was. And it never took much for the fellowship to believe that. By daybreak the next day, it would become even worse, with heat that could kill even the mightiest of warriors if the circumstances were right. It wasn't until now that they all began to wonder what they were going to eat until they at least got to the village of Bree, which was roughly 15 miles from them. Certainly, it wasn't a very positive start to the journey. But in spite of this, they pressed onward. The sand would shift in between their paws as they walked, and the rock surfaces were still warm from the daylight hours before. The dark blue sky littered with stars almost looked different to them all. The sky was a strange shade of dark blue that they had never seen before in the Pride Lands. It was an unsettling, creepy feeling for them.

Within about a minute, something began to show on the night sky horizon: A tall, jagged mound that seemed to extend from a group of dead or dying trees all around it. Vitani and Kovu, upon sight, both knew exactly what it was. After all, how could they forget it? They were raised in that jagged mound from childhood. It was the deep heart of what was once the outlanders' home; a giant, dusty termite mound that looked as if it could collapse at any moment. Seeing it again brought back uncomfortable and unpleasant memories for Kovu and Vitani; memories of abuse, corruption, pain, near starvation, and sheer brutality of the hurtful training they were forced to endure as young cubs. Kiara could easily tell, just by the look on her mate's face, that the termite mound was bringing back horrible memories for Kovu that he had yet to discuss with her even to this day. Kopa, being the mate of Kovu's sister, could also tell something was wrong with Vitani as well. He asked her, "What is it, Vitani? Is something wrong?"

She looked up to him sadly and replied, "Kopa... this was me and Kovu's home when we were cubs, after Zira... you know..."

Kopa could tell this was hurting her greatly, so he comfortable nuzzled her for comfort. She returned the nuzzle. When they stopped, they looked upon the abandoned figure, standing against the night sky like some horrendous, looming figure that would kill them at any second. Kopa, being the ring-bearer and leader of the fellowship, looked back at them all. He could tell they were getting tired already. It was late at night, after all, and the moon was moving past it's highest point- signifying that it was past midnight now. Kopa sighed. Seeing no other choice, he looked up and said to the group, "I think we should stop and rest here for the night. We need to head off for the village of Bree early in the morning tomorrow."

Kovu, who was in the back of the group, walked through them all and came up to Kopa, with a rather concerned look on his face. "Kopa, this was my old home, some of the worst years of my..."

He looked over at Vitani and continued, "...our lives."

He looked back over to Kopa. "We can't stay at this Godforsaken mound, even for a night."

Kopa replied, "Kovu, we don't have a choice. Do you know what's ahead of us? Miles of hot, dry desert and sand. And we need our rest if we're ever going to be focused enough to get to Mordor."

Kopa looked back at the termite mound for a second, and then back to Kovu, continuing, "It's not exactly an ideal place to stop, but there's no other place to go right now... unless you want to go all the way back to the Pride Lands and start this whole thing over in the morning."

Kovu sighed. One one paw, sleeping in that old termite mound another night would bring back terrible memories of abuse and corruption he had long tried to suppress in his mind; emphasis on _tried_. Not to mention that the place was dusty, falling apart, and was probably still infested with termites. But on the other paw, going back to the Pride Lands was a more favorable, yet far less likely option. If they went back, the journey that had started so far would have been for nothing, and would've just been wasted energy in the long run. And considering the distance that they had to go, and the scale of what they had to do, they needed every bit of strength they could get. Eventually, he decided on the first choice.

"Alright... but just for one night", he said firmly, looking Kopa straight in the eye. Kopa nodded. Slowly, they all started towards the termite mound, looming ever higher as they got nearer. Timon and Pumbaa looked especially frightened. The place really did look like it was going to collapse at any moment, and that was just from looking at the outside of it. Nala had noticed how scared the two of them looked, and commented, "What? It doesn't look all that bad, you guys."

Timon shot a look at her and said, "Hey! Are you suggesting that we're scared? Because I've got a few words for you, lady, and they would be..."

And then they stepped inside of the mound. The ugly way it looked on the outside was noting compared to the interior. The jagged rocks, ledges, and rocky platforms were scattered everywhere, holes ripped into the sides, and one crumbling slope that led to the highest platform of all- that looked ready to come down. Timon stopped in dead sentence when he got a look at the inside. In fact, everyone else seemed unsettled by it, especially Kovu and Vitani. Timon shuddered at the sight of it. Nala said to Timon in a surprisingly playful mood, "Yeah, that's what I thought.", smirking at them.

Timon grunted loudly. He hated being proven wrong, but to be proven wrong by a lioness? That was too much.

"You were saying?", Pumbaa started, almost sounding annoyed. Under his breath, Timon said, "I swear to God, Pumbaa..."

The others looked around at their surroundings. It was certainly no Pride Rock, that was for sure. "This'll have to do for now", Simba said to himself reluctantly. His voice echoed in the termite mound in an eerie fashion. This place had been abandoned for over a year now.

Kiara stuck close to Kovu. She had never seen this place before, and any description Kovu had given to her her previously about it paled in comparison to the real thing. The two of them looked around for a moment until they found a spot on the ground that was clear of any dirt or sharp rocks. They walked over to it and did their best to settle in. Eventually, they both managed to lay down close to one another, with Kiara resting her head against Kovu's mane. Their eyes were still open, though, needing to adjust to the new environment they were in. It was generally like that for the others as well. Kopa, Vitani, Simba, Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa all took a while to settle in to their spots. Simba and Nala found a place up on a mostly stable ledge and gave it their best effort to get comfortable. Nala rested her head on top of Simba's while holding onto him with her arms. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was frightened too. Kopa and Vitani had a similar situation. As for Timon and Pumbaa, they found a spot next to Kiara and Kovu. It was a bit crowded now that they were there, but they eventually settled in. Timon decided to sleep somewhat away from the three of them, because he felt he needed his space, like usual. After all, for him, elbow room was typically the most important part of being able to get to sleep. Some things truly never change.

So after a while, they all drifted off to sleep, except for Kopa. He was drifting close to sleep, but still awake nonetheless. In his claws, he delicately held the Ring of Power in front of his face, still attached to the grass necklace around his neck. He stared down at it, studying the featureless surface. Many thoughts ran through his mind at that moment. It was hard to believe that this one little ring could cause so much destruction and warfare when it was first forged. It was even harder to believe that this very ring was once worn by the dark lord Sauron himself. Something inside of him could tell that there was more to this ring than he knew; as if there was some sort of secret behind it. He couldn't even begin to guess what it could've been, but he was beginning to slip consciousness and into sleep anyway. His eyelids grew heavy as he studied the ring. He would have to think about all this tomorrow. Soon, he drifted to sleep, laying against his loving mate peacefully, and let the ring fall to the ground, still attached to the necklace.

However, once Kopa drifted off to sleep, footsteps could be heard at the entrance of the termite mound. A silhouetted figure walked in slowly, as not to disturb any of them. Even if any of them were awake, they wouldn't've been able to tell who it was anyway. Whoever it was walked on four (but sometimes two) legs, looked slightly man-like in shape, and had a tail, so clearly it wasn't human. The unnamed figure walked over to where Kopa had just passed out. It noticed the Ring of Power on the ground, and became intrigued by its form. He picked the golden figure up off the ground, though very gently as not to tug on it from the necklace, and looked at it. The unnamed figure held it against his face, taking a closer look. Softly to himself, he laughed cheerfully, almost as he it knew absolutely nothing about its backstory. When he stopped laughing, he set the ring down where it was before and looked upon Kopa. Eventually, the unnamed figure decided to exit the termite mound and wait until morning to introduce himself to Kopa and the others. They had no idea he was here, but somehow, he felt as though they would be glad to see him at daybreak. He turned around and paced his way out of the termite mound, but not without a few clunk-like sounds coming from the ground- more specifically, the tall stick he was carrying...


	7. A Will of its Own

**Author's Note: I typed this chapter at around 3:30 in the morning, so if there's any mistakes with spelling or grammer, or if there seems like anything's just off, don't be afraid to tell me. Any errors pointed out will be fixed.**

* * *

**Chapter VII: A Will of its Own**

The first rays of sunlight against the light purple dawn sky made their way into the decaying termite mound, and gently touched upon the eight sleeping figures inside of it. The calm morning breeze snaked its way inside as well, gently ruffling the fur of all who were inside of it. The breeze gently touched upon Simba's face, which made him shift around in his spot slightly. The wind picked up somewhat, and soon Simba's eyes came open. He was tired for sure, given what had happened the previous day. But little did Simba know that a shadow was overlooking him. A shadow that resembled the form of a man, but if one looked closer upon it, they would see it was not. It was the same figure that had entered the mound the previous night, now fully ready to reveal himself. As Simba opened his eyes slowly, vision still blurry and all, he began to take notice of the figure. At first he thought he was imagining it, but soon that proved not to be the case. As his vision sharpened, he could start to make out individual features- eyes, fur, mouth, nose- in fact, he looked a little familiar. But before he could fully grasp the fact that anything was in front of him, the figure in front of him spoke up in a rather loud tone,

"Is it secret?! Is it safe?!"

The voice echoed loudly off of the decaying walls of the termite mound, and was entirely audible to everyone there. All at once, every member of the fellowship woke up startled and scared from the voice, not expecting it in the least. Timon and Pumbaa were especially startled. They screamed in fear as to what the voice could be. Waking up screaming seemed to be a common thing for them nowadays. Simba jumped back when he said it, essentially waking him up fully now. He stood on all fours, and had his vision sharpening with each passing second. Nala, who was sleeping next to him, also woke up with a jump. Kiara and Kovu had somewhat more mild reactions to it, as they gasped with shock at it, though neither one of them screamed. The situation seemed to be confusing at first, with no one knowing what was going on.

"What was that?!", shouted Pumbaa. Kopa and Vitani were awake at this point. They were both standing up and looking in the direction of where the voice came from, also startled with some rattled nerves at the shout. They looked over and saw just who the voice had came from. As everyone else gathered their senses together and settled down, they also saw who it was coming from. And thankfully, it was just the one they needed to see at this point.

Simba, being the closest one to him, was the first to point out who it was.

"Rafiki?"

They all identified the blue furred baboon immediately. Out of anyone who could've found them at that time, he was the one they needed.

Kiara tried to speak to him. "Oh, thank God you're here Rafiki. Listen, we-"

Rafiki turned to her. For the slightest moment, he smiled at her and Kovu. But that was when she noticed the expression on his face. He looked worried for them. Almost... scared. However, she didn't get to look at him long before he started up again.

"Dere is no time! Where is it? Who has it?"

They were all confused by this. Simba and Nala had by now walked down to the center of the termite mound. Now, the entire fellowship was around Rafiki. Kopa was especially mystified.

"Who has what? What're you-"

He never got to finish that sentence. Rafiki turned to him quickly, and then saw it. He saw the ring attached to the grass necklace around his neck. Rafiki gasped at the sight of it, which is what made Kopa stop talking. With his walking stick, he ran over to Kopa and grabbed the ring.

"Hey!", Kopa protested. But Rafiki continued. "Dere is much you must know.", he said to him. The baboon proceeded to pull on the ring, which ripped the necklace off of his neck. Soon after looking at it for a second, he started towards the entrance of the termite mound. He turned towards the fellowship, and shouted, "Come! You follow!"

Timon looked up at Pumbaa. He glanced over at Rafiki for a second, and then said to the warthog, "Crazy monkey. I knew he'd crack some day."

Mystified didn't even begin to cover what they were all feeling at that moment. They had come to expect Rafiki to act strange over the years, but this was almost too much, even for him. Did he know something about the ring? Something they didn't? Something... _important_ that they didn't?..

* * *

The baboon ran outside, still carrying the ring. The eight members of the fellowship followed one by one, each stepping out onto the rough, gravel layered ground. It wasn't until then that they noticed Rafiki had started a fire in a small pit nearby. Thin smoke was rising from it, as it wasn't a very big one. Rafiki ran over to it, and waited for everyone else to come around him. Eventually, they walked over to him, surrounding the fire pit. The smoke was being carried by the wind, which would explain why they hadn't noticed it before. Vitani had also noticed that some branches had been broken off from a nearby dead tree. She guessed that was what Rafiki used to start the fire.

"Uh, Rafiki? Could you tell us what's going on?", asked Simba. He received no reply. The baboon was holding the ring in front of his face, studying it. It hung off the two severed ends of the grass necklace, as he was holding it together. This was really beginning to creep them out.

"Rafiki?... hello?", said Kiara. She took a few steps closer to him. It looked as if he was locked into the ring's gaze, staring at it... as if he was trying to figure something out about it.

"Uh, anything? Hello!... Earth to monkey!" Timon went closer to Rafiki as he said this. This was getting too weird for him.

"I thing something's wrong with him", said Pumbaa. Timon turned back to him. "Gee, ya think?"

Eventually, Rafiki took his eyes off of the ring, and looked around the ones surrounding him. Kiara and Kovu were both staring blankly at him, mystified by his actions, or at least his _lack_ of action. Simba and Nala did the same. And while Vitani looked genuinely worried for him, Kopa's expression was different. He wasn't looking at Rafiki, but at the ring. For a brief moment, he stared at it just as the monkey did. But that didn't last long, as Rafiki finally became aware of his surroundings again.

The monkey said, "Who here is de ring bearer?"

Kopa, who was to his left, looked up at him and said, "That would be me, Rafiki."

The monkey looked at him for a moment until he looked back down at the fire. He then proceeded to drop the ring in, which quickly burned away the grass it was attached to. This annoyed Timon a bit, since it was going to take him another hundred tries to make another necklace. "You'd better know what you're doing, crazy monkey", he muttered to himself.

While the grass turned black and shriveled away in the flames, the ring stayed perfectly intact. It sat in the center of the fire for a moment, being consumed until Rafiki used the thin end of his stick to pick it back up, the same stick he had carried on the day of Simba's birth so long ago. He put the stick through the hole of the ring, and lifted it up, charring the end of the stick slightly. He then slowly moved it over in front of Kopa. They looked at one another.

"Put your paw out... it is quite cool, I can assure you."

Kopa then proceeded to put his paw out in front of Rafiki. The baboon then gently placed the ring onto his paw, sliding it off the stick. The entire fellowship was looking at him now. They didn't look mystified, so much as curious. Rafiki had always done strange tricks like this, but this was something completely different. Kopa looked at the golden, featureless ring for a moment, and then back up to Rafiki. The monkey said to him,

"Look closely at it. What do you see?"

The lion examined the ring closely in the center of his upside down paw (the equivalent of the palm of a hand), squinting hard at it. He then held it closer to his face.

"Nothing... there's nothing. It looks like it's just a... wait a second."

As Kopa looked ever closer at it, specifically of view in front of the fire, something began to emerge on the ring's exterior. All around it, a strange form of glowing writing began to fade in, a kind he had never seen before.

"There's markings on it...", he said. To who, he didn't even know. Everyone started to crowd around him and the ring, walking towards him. He now held it hanging off of his claws. The markings were in clear view. Sharp, extending symbols that were in a language nearly none of them knew.

"It's in some sort of elvish", said Vitani, who was close by Kopa's side as she squinted at the ring. "I can't read it", Kopa said to himself. Rafiki then took the ring from Kopa and held it in the palm of his hand. "Very few can."

**(Author's Note: I recommend listening to the track "Padme's Ruminations" from Star Wars Episode III for this part.)**

They were all curious as to what it said. For all they knew, it could've been crucial to the journey. "Rafiki, could you tell us what it says?", asked Simba. Rafiki glanced up at the king, and then back at the ring. Rafiki sighed ever so silently.

"Dis is no normal elvish, Simba. Dis is de black speech of Mordor... but yes."

It didn't surprise them that he could read in elvish, even if it was they type he was talking about.

"But I must warn you all", he said to them. "What dis ring says is not good, no."

They all understood. Rafiki then began to read out loud what it said, rotating it around in his fingers as he did. He read slowly.

"_One ring to rule dem all. One ring to find dem. One ring to bring dem all, and in de darkness, bind dem_."

Kopa personally restated the inscription in his mind.

"_One ring to rule them all... One ring to find them... One ring to bring them all... And in the darkness, bind them_."

"What does that mean?", asked Kiara, though she was somewhat reluctant to. Rafiki looked over at her, and replied, "Ah, Kiara. Dere is much to dis ring you do not know."

Kopa then said to him, "Rafiki, we know the myth. We know Scar once used this ring, that's why we're here."

Kovu decided to finish for him. "We're on a journey to take this ring to Mordor and toss it into the heart of Mount Doom, where it was forged."

Rafiki shook his head sadly. "No, Kovu. Dere is far more to it den dat."

Nala looked at him and asked, "Rafiki, what are you talking about?"

The baboon looked up to the sky, which was still a vibrant pink color from the sunrise, though some hints of light blue could now be seen within it. He then looked back to them and said, "Does anybody know what dis ring can do?", he asked them, seeing what they knew.

Kiara then took a step closer to him and said, "We know the ring was created at Mount Doom by the dark lor-"

Rafiki cut her off. "No, no, Kiara. I mean what does de ring do? What are its powers?"

Kiara then thought for a moment. And then she said, "Well... it can turn anyone who wears it invisible, gives them immortal life, and the power to dominate Middle Earth. And... it turns whoever has it insane with that power.", she said, thinking of Scar and Zira. Rafiki then asked her, and the rest of them for that matter, "And what else?"

Kiara's eyes widened slightly. "What do you mean? There's more?"

Rafiki sighed as he explained. "Lots more, I'm afraid. Come, sit down, all of you. Rafiki will explain all."

With that, the eight members of the fellowship sat down on the ground, surrounding the fire that had yet to die off despite the lack of sticks within it. Rafkik continued to stand up, clutching his stick to stand. Once they all sat down, he sighed and began to explain.

"You see, dis ring is not just an object... it is alive... calling for its master, even as we speak."

"What?", Nala asked? They were all bewildered by this. Was Rafiki implying what they thought he was?

"Simba, you once heard a rumor dat de dark lord Sauron's spirit is in Mordor, in de form of a fiery eye... it is true."

Simba gasped at the thought of this. Sauron? Alive?

"No... no that can't be true, Rafiki! Sauron was killed by Isildor during the last alliance!"

Rafiki looked sadly upon his old friend. "Yes, but only his physical form was destroyed. For de mere existence of dat ring allowed his spirit to remain. His eye rests atop de Barad-Dur, which guards Mount Doom from any who may approach."

The rest of the group was horrified at this. The situation was far worse than they had originally perceived. The fire, which had failed to die out since it started, made Rafiki's explanation seem all the more ominous and otherworldly. The baboon continued. "De ring responds to Sauron and Sauron only. With each bearer it has, it is calling for its master... manipulating dem to find its way to de black gates... of Mordor."

None of them could believe it. The ring was far worse than they had realized. Its evil truly knew no bounds.

"And dere is more, I'm afraid", he continued. "De closer de ring comes to Mordor, de stronger its grip on de bearer becomes. Whoever carries it would have a terrible aura of power consume dem into darkness. If one comes to de edge of Mount Doom, it is unlikely dat dey would ever escape its black clasp."

The fellowship felt mortified to listen to Rafiki's explanation. The more they heard, the harder it became to listen. And they needed to hear more to fully understand what they were up against.

"What if we just sneak past Sauron's eye? There has to be some path to Mount Doom that he can't see", suggested Kovu. Rafiki slowly shook his head. "No, I'm afraid. De eye of Sauron is not alone. He and de white wizard Saruman of Isengard are creating an army... de Uruk-Hai."

Vitani was especially intrigued by this. She had once heard that her name meant "battle" in a language that had long been lost to the regions of Middle Earth. "Is the army big? Is it just orcs? We could fight them if we stick tog-"

She was interrupted by Rafiki, who explained. "No, de army is far to large to fight, even with all of you. An army of ten tousand could not defeat it. And it is not just orcs... dere are also trolls, and de Nazgul."

The baboon was cut off by Timon. "Hold on a second, here. Trolls? The nazwhat? What are you getting at, crazy monkey? And who's Saru guy exactly?

Rafiki looked at him and replied, "... De Nazgul are de black riders of Sauron, who search for de one ring. Dey are shrouded in darkness, dere faces hidden. Dey can feel de ring's presence at all times..."

He then turned to Kopa.

"...But as long as you do not put de ring on, dey can never find you. For if you do..."

Kopa decided not to let him finish that sentence. "I won't, Rafiki. If what you're saying is true, I won't ever put it on."

The baboon rested his hand on the prince's shoulder. "Ah, dat is good, Kopa. Sauron unlikely to find us den."

Kopa raised his eyebrow at that comment. "Unlikely?"

Rafiki looked down to the ground. "Well, even if you do not put de ring on, de Nazgul will still feel its presence. For dere is a danger every moment dat ring is allowed another day of life in Middle Earth. And if dey find any of you, dey will reclaim the ring, and kill whoever bears it"

Kopa gasped at this. His life had been in danger in the past, but this was far beyond his limits of comfort. The baboon turned back to Timon. "Saruman is de white wizard who controls all of Isengard. As we speak, he and Sauron's spirit are creating de Uruk-Hai, an army worthy of Mordor."

Timon gulped loudly at this. He had never been known for being brave, but this was ridiculous.

Finally, Rafiki turned to Simba, and held the ring up so he could see it. "For you see, dis ring contains far more danger den you were aware of all dose years ago, Simba."

Simba said to him, "What? How do you know?"

Rafiki replied, "Ah, Rafiki knew about it de day you found it. I saw you hide it for all dose years."

Timon, who was still bewildered at this point, spoke up to Rafiki. "Wait, wait, hold the phone a second here. Why didn't you tell us all this earlier? Pumbaa and I could've just gotten the heck out of there instead of being talked into going all the way to Mordor of all places!"

Surprisingly, Nala somewhat agreed with Timon. "Rafiki, Timon does have a point. Why didn't you tell us this earlier?", she asked, taking a few steps closer to him. Rafiki sighed subtly and looked at Simba. "I wanted to be sure dat you were ready."

Simba asked him, "Ready? For what?"

Rafiki looked at him with a serious type of expression Simba hadn't seen in him since the aftermath of Zira's attack on Kopa so long ago.

"For dis."

With that, he tossed the ring back into the fire, which was still relatively strong-going. The inscription came glowing back into view. Simba, at first confused by Rafiki's action, suddenly stared into the ring once more; became entranced by it yet again. He watched the flames envelop the ring, which made its inscription glow ever brighter. He stared deeply at the ring... like he was being consumed by it. His deep stare caught the attention of the others. All but Rafiki were disturbed by the sight. The king stood up on all fours now. As Simba looked harder at the fire, he began to hear a voice... a soft, but deep voice coming from the ring itself, whispering to him. Over and over, it was chanting its own inscription, but in elvish. It was torture for him not to bear the ring.

_Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,  
Ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul._

Soon, Simba could take it no more. He had to have it back in his paws. He started to walk towards the fire, attempting to retrieve the ring from the flames. He reached out his paw closer and closer to it, entirely ignoring the heat, which became increasingly uncomfortable for him. Nala, being his mate, tried to stop him.

"No, Simba! Don't!"

Simba turned to her, and said "No! You can't stop me!"

Nala, as well as everyone else, was mystified by that. This wasn't his usual self, that much was becoming clear.

"T-the ring is mine! It's mine!", he shouted, echoing through the air. "It's my precious! My precious!", he shouted, going ever nearer to the fire. Nala then got up and tried to force him back.

"No Simba! Simba stop this! You'll burn you paw"

She held him back as best as she could, but it hardly restrained him for long. Simba was now struggling to escape Nala's grasp. Seeing that things were about to get ugly, Kopa got up and ran over to his father, helping Nala to keep him back from the fire.

"It's mine! My precious!... My precious!"

By now, all of the others, including Timon and Pumbaa, were getting back up and running over to Simba. They all got around him and did their best to hold and push him back. They all struggled. Simba was reaching his paw out to the fire, watching the ring be completely unaffected by it. The trance was still strong on him, as was the voice only he could hear.

_Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,  
Ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul._

___Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,  
Ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul._

Timon started pulling on Simba's tail, doing what he could to pull him back from the fire. Rafiki, who was on the other end of the fire pit, just watched as the others tried to pull the king back from claiming the ring, fully prepared for what he was seeing. Eventually, they pushed Simba back far enough so that he fell backwards and hit his back on the ground. Timon screamed as the lion fell on top of him. Once he hit the ground, Timon was struggling to get out from under him. He crawled around until he could smell fresh air once more. He was violently gasping, as if someone had tried to suffocate him, which wasn't far from the truth.

"Timon! Are you okay?", asked Pumbaa. Timon, between gasps, managed to choke out to the warthog, "I think... I think we're goin' back to Hakuna Matata as out old motto..."

Timon struggled, but he got himself free. He dusted himself off, and finally caught his breath. He climbed back up on Pumbaa's head, and then looked back at Simba. He was also panting wild, short breaths, as if someone had just tried to murder him. His entire body felt numb and lost nearly all his senses. His eyes were wide as they could be, and he continued to whisper the same thing to himself over and over again.

"My precious... my precious...It came to me..."

"Dad? Dad! Come on, snap out of it!", said Kopa, waving his paw in front of his father's face. Kiara was scared at this point. What was that ring doing to her father?

"Daddy? Come on, you can't do this! Please!"

Nala was especially worried for him. "Come on Simba, snap out of it!"

Eventually, Simba's eyes returned to normal, and he regained his senses, no longer concentrating on the ring. He looked around, still lying on the ground, and said, "W-what just happened?"

Rafiki, who was watching this go down on tbe other side of the fire, said to them all, "Dis is what de ring is capable of. Simba had kept it since he was young, but had it hidden most of de time. Dis is de longest he has ever been with it. If we do not destroy it, others will suffer far worse den de king has."

Simba slowly got back up on all fours and looked around to see the stunned faces around him. A surge of guilt came across him. Never before had he put his family or friends in so much danger. At least not intentionally.

"I should've never picked it in the first place", he whispered to himself. Nala came to him and then nuzzled her mate, trying to comfort Simba as best as she could. "It wasn't your fault, Simba. You didn't know. Just be lucky you didn't reach for it."

When they stopped, the king turned to his right to see his son with sadness. "Kopa... I'm so sorry you have to carry this burden. You deserve better."

Kopa replied to his father, "Dad, don't worry about it. We're in this together, remember?"

Simba looked to the rest of the group. Kopa was right. If they had to destroy the ring, they would see it through to the end, even if death was that end.

"You're right, Kopa. We need to destroy it."

As he said this, the fire had died down enough so that the ring could be picked up again. Rafiki did so, which caused its inscription to fade away. He held it up to his face, examining it one last time. Then, he looked back at the fellowship.

"I will lead de way into Mordor. Rafiki will join de fellowship."

Simba sighed with relief and happiness. "Thanks, Rafiki."

The baboon looked over at Kiara and Kovu, who were also looking at him. "Ah, you have much to tank me for, but you still have yet to tank me still. For de road to Mordor goes ever on."

Kiara then said, "Then let's get out of here then. If this is what the ring does to my father, that's reason enough for me to come along with you."

Kovu smiled at her. He said, "Same here, Kiara."

Simba smiled at the two of them. He looked over to Kopa and Vitani, who were nuzzling close together for comfort. He said to the fellowship, "Come on. We need all the time we can get for this."

Immediately after he finished, though he still held confidence within him, could still subconsciously hear that soft, deep voice in his mind, chanting the words of the ring.

_Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,  
Ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul._

___One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them,  
One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them._


	8. The Road Goes Ever On

**Chapter VIII: The Road Goes Ever On**

Before the sun was at its highest point in the sky, the fellowship had finally abandoned the decaying termite mound and continued their journey towards the southeast; the direction of Mordor.

The nine members, having walked for some time now, were finally away from the desert's hold on them. They had now come across a vast, grassy plain with gentle hills, a few scattered out trees, and distant mountain ranges to their right. Ahead of them was almost totally flat land, but with some grassy hills that broke the flat appearance. The grass here was not like the kind that could be found in the Pride Lands. This grass was short, and was greener than any of them had ever seen before; it wasn't yellow tinted like they were so used to seeing. And to the left of them was a massive river, the largest they'd ever encountered. It was a deeper shade of blue than they'd ever seen, it was wider and extended ahead of them farther than they could see. If anything was for certain, they sure weren't in Africa anymore.

Rafiki, using his walking stick, was leading the group ever closer to their final destination. Behind him was Kopa, the ring bearer. Since they left the termite mound, Timon had made him a new grass necklace to hold around his neck, this time with stronger bonds to hold on together. Vitani always stayed to Kopa's right, wanting to remain close given the situation and the objective thy were trying to reach. Behind them were Simba and Nala, following in their paw prints. Up until now, the fellowship had all kept a very keen eye on Simba, as to not let him have any more outbursts of insanity like before. But by now he was managing to keep his urges for the ring under control, mainly due to help from Rafiki following their departure. Behind the king and queen were Kiara and Kovu. The two of them were more determined than ever to reach Mordor after seeing the full extent of the ring's effects on a mortal being, Kiara especially, considering that mortal being was her own father. And at the back of the group was Timon and Pumbaa. While they were still afraid as ever to go any closer to the lands of Sauron, they continued to press onward. For despite their partial lack of bravery, the warthog and the meerkat were the most loyal of companions that any in Middle Earth could ask for.

With each step they took, they drew closer to the village of Bree, which would be their next stop to rest, as it would take until nightfall to reach it. But as they treaded onward, a million thoughts ran through their minds, particularly Simba's. He had never been like that around the ring before, so why did he so suddenly act the way he did? It confused and scared him, thinking it could happen again. He never wanted to scare his family that way again. But what made it even worse for him was that his own son was the one to bear the ring. Would it be that he wouldn't be able to face his own flesh and blood because of something so small and evil?

Kovu was beginning to ponder something as well. He remembered everything he went through to abandon his bloodless connection to Scar after he left the outsiders so long ago. But ever since then, he worried about something inside of him still being there. He had never seen Scar in person, nor was he even his father, but it frightened him to think that the ring could possibly turn him back into what he once was because of his mother: a soulless, blood thirsty killer that would do anything to get revenge against those who didn't deserve it. If Simba was any indication, would the ring do the same to him? Would it consume him back into darkness like Rafiki said it had the power to? The lion couldn't think about this any longer. He felt like he was going to throw up just thinking about what could happen.

Kiara, like her mate, was having thoughts of her own. How was her father able to control himself for so long with the ring, but is now suddenly being consumed by its power? Could it be because they were trying to destroy it? Rafiki mentioned that the ring had a will of its own, so was it self aware about their intentions? The more the lioness thought about this, the more she thought about her father. She remembered how Simba was when Kovu had saved her from that fire the previous year. And then she thought about how Simba acted during his exile. Was that why he was so harsh on her during that time? Was the ring beginning to possess him even then? If that was the case, how did she ever see the ring without even knowing it? After Kovu's exile, she had crawled through a hole at the back of Pride Rock to look for him, but it was in the same exact spot that Simba had kept the ring. She was amazed at herself for not seeing it back then.

However, all of their thoughts were put aside when they heard Vitani start to talk to Kopa from the front of the group, effectively breaking the silence from them all.

"Are you alright, Kopa?", she asked her mate. Kopa turned to her and replied,

"Yeah... I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Vitani then said to him, "You know, carrying that ring's a big deal. I'm glad you're able to handle it."

Kopa smiled at her. "Thanks. I'm glad you decided to come with us. A journey like this isn't going to be easy."

Vitani was about to say something else to him, but then she noticed something. Kopa was looking ahead of the group, observing the land around them as if he was looking for something, looking to his left for a second, and then to his right for another. He had done nothing but this ever since they came across the lands they were in. His mate got curious.

"Hey Kopa... what're you doing? You haven't done anything but look around everywhere like you're looking for something."

Kopa, after hearing his mate's question, suddenly and abruptly stopped walking and slowly put his head down, with some clear sadness in his face. This caught the attention of the others behind them, and they stopped walking soon after. They had noticed Kopa looking down to the ground, and grew curious, but with a hint of worry as well.

"What is it?", asked Vitani. Kopa said nothing, and sighed softly to himself.

"Kopa?... is something wrong?", asked Nala. Now concern was beginning to spread across them all. Even Rafiki had stopped walking and looked back to him, seeing what was going on. Kopa had never acted like this before. So what was causing it?

Finally deciding to answer Vitani, Kopa slowly turned to her and said, "Vitani... I know this place."

This took his mate by surprise. "What do you mean? You've... been here before? How?"

He replied, "This... this was one of the places I stayed after Zira tossed me into the river."

This was the last thing anyone expected the lion to say. He had been here before?

"It's just bringing back so many memories. I was trying to remember who I was day in and day out, it was just so hard living here on my own. No one I could look up to, no one I could trust... no one I could love." He said that last part while looking deep into Vitani's blue eyes, and she did the same. This was one of those moments when Vitani could see the faint tint of purple in Kopa's eyes.

His head turned towards one of the taller trees nearby them.

"I remember that tree... I made my first ever kill right under those branches... I remember that river next to us, and all the stones that were alongside it." he said turning towards the flowing water. It truly was hard for him to look at this place. So many memories of mental pain and murderously attempting to recall who he was at the time... it was making him sick.

Vitani came closer and softly nuzzled him, knowing he needed comfort. Then Kiara came up to him from behind and said to her brother softly, "It's alright, Kopa. Bree isn't much farther from here. We'll be outta this place soon." Kopa smiled at his sister. No matter what, she would always have high hopes even during difficult times. "Thanks, sis.", he said to her.

Rafiki then decided to say something on the matter. "Kopa... as I once said to your fatha, de past can hurt. But you can either run from it... or learn from it."

Kopa smiled at the baboon. He always knew what to say, especially when he or anyone else needed it.

"Thanks, Rafiki."

"Any time, prince Kopa."

The prince began to walk onwards once more. And while some unwanted memories were arising within the minds of both him and Vitani, they pressed onward, as did the rest of the group. For they were nearing the end of the grasslands, which would lead them to their next stop for the long journey ahead. But it wasn't until that very moment when any of them noticed that a horde of dark, thick clouds began to appear against the flat horizon ahead of them. It would most likely rain soon, but that was no reason for concern to the fellowship. However, in spite of the high hopes, it was a shame that the poor creatures were entirely oblivious as to what would occur at that village. Specifically, to Kopa...

* * *

As the dark grey clouds rolled in against the blue sky, the four cubs closely followed by Nadra, nearing their final destination. The Shire was not even half a mile away. Some distance back, they had come across a cobblestone pathway, which was very clearly a direct link to the Shire. Sayari and Amani stuck close by one another, while their cousins Akarudi and Kijani were somewhat scattered from each other. On the left side of the path stood a painted white fence that ran quite far back. They walked a bit of a distance from it, though, as the wood that the fence was constructed of was rather brittle and rugged, with signs of chipping paint all across it. They were still a bit of a distance from the Shire, so Nadra guessed that whatever this fence once guarded was now abandoned. And to their right was a calm, simple river flowing in the direction they were headed, with some trees alongside of it. They were getting close.

In a matter of minutes, the storm clouds covered up the sun, which darkened the area significantly. For them, it was a bit of a relief since the sun had been beating down on them for some time now.

"Are we there yet?", asked Sayari. While still walking, Nadra turned back to the yound cub and said, "Almost, Sayari. We just need to get over this hill and we'll be there." Nadra was admittedly just taking a guess on that part. While she knew they were close, she wasn't sure it would only be one more hill until they got there.

"Well good. It looks like it's gonna rain soon", said Akarudi, hoping to get inside of something to get cover from the impending rainfall. After he said this, he looked to his left to see his sister, Kijani. But for some reason, she was walking rather slowly, and she seemed quite depressed if the look on her face was any indication. Growing concerned, Akarudi walked over to her and said, "Hey, what's the matter? Are ya' sick or something?"

Kijani lifted her head up and turned to her brother. "No, it's not that. It's just... I can't help but feel this is my fault."

She certainly sounded sad enough about something. "What do you mean, sis?"

She replied, "It's just that... I was the one who found that ring in the first place... and now daddy and the others have to go all the way to Mordor. All because I found it."

By now, Sayari and Amani walked over and came close to Kijani. She clearly felt guilty about the situation, and it pained them to see her this way.

"It's not your fault, Kijani.", said Akarudi. "If you hadn't found it, somebody else would've."

Sayari decided to say something about the matter. "I could've found it, Amani could've found it, Akarudi could've found it... it just happened to be you."

"Yeah, but I still feel bad about it. You heard what daddy said to us. What if he doesn't come back?"

Nadra, who was listening in on the cubs' conversation, chose to add something to it as well, since they very clearly needed some adult advice on the matter. She looked at her and said, "Kijani, it wasn't your fault. You aren't the one who put it there, Simba was. And even then, he didn't know it was so evil. If he had known what it truly was, he never would've touched it. So it wasn't you... alright?"

Feeling a little better about the situation, Kijani looked at Nadra and replied, "Yeah... thanks."

They kept on walking as the cubs continued to talk. "I just hope they can come back safe", said Amani, which was replied by a few "mee too"s and "I hope so"s from his brother and cousins. Even though they were young and weren't at all used to situations like this, they still understood the severity and significance of it all. Their thoughts were interrupted, however, when Nadra spoke to them once more.

"Look you guys... we're here." she said.

The four young cubs stopped talking and looked ahead of them, each taking a few steps forward. Beyond them was the place that virtually guaranteed safety from the situation: The Shire.

The Shire was the home of all the hobbits in Middle Earth. Hobbits resembled humans in many ways, but they would only grow to about half their height, about three feet, six inches at normal growth. Just tall enough so that Nadra would be able to be at eye level with a hobbit. Hobbits would often dress in bright colors, and they never wore shoes or any type of foot ware. And given the area they lived in, they had little reason to. Nearly all of the hobbit's homes were carved out of the very grass covered hills that littered the place, normally with circular shaped doors with knobs in the very middle. Some of the structures were freshly built out of wood atop the land, but they were of very little quantity.

There were farmlands and fields that covered vast areas of the Shire, with a river running through it as well. The cobblestone paths served as the roads and pathways for this land, that would normally only accommodate hobbits and wooden horse drawn carts for carrying farm crops. Wooden fences, far smoother and better taken care of than the one Nadra and the cubs had encountered before were all across the land. A quaint stone bridge went over the river that went through the Shire and essentially acted as the entrance to it. There were tall trees here and there that would always go undisturbed since the hobbits' homes were within the hills they grew upon. But above all, the Shire was a peaceful land for the hobbits and all who lived there. It was considered too small a region for any kind of worthy conquest, and besides Bilbo Baggins, almost no one of any significant importance came from there. For this is why Simba had asked Nadra to take the cubs here; in case of danger, they would be safe.

The cubs were glad to finally reach their destination. They had never actually seen this place before, so it was a fresh opportunity to explore and look around, something they had become fond of doing back at home. Nadra smiled at the sight of the peaceful land, also curious about what it was like.

"Come on... let's go see if there's anyone who'll speak to us", said Nadra. She began walking again, and the four cubs followed, making their way towards the stone bridge. But hobbits were known to be rather shy creatures, so there was no telling what their reactions to the lion creatures would be.


	9. The Shire and Bree

**Author's Note: I recently bought a copy of The Hobbit, and I've read through the first two chapters so far. I'm finally getting some insight on J.R.R Tolkien's writing style, and I'm hoping to use that to my advantage for this story. Also, I typed this at around 2:30 in the morning again (I really do have an act for that, don't I?), so if there's any spelling/grammar errors anywhere in this, let me know and they'll be fixed as soon as possible.**

* * *

**Chapter IX: The Shire and Bree**

As Nadra and the cubs paced their way closer to the stone bridge that lead to the home of the hobbits, the air around them slowly became more humid and moist, and the temperature was gradually decreasing as well. The wind picked up slightly, and the sun was now completely blocked out by dark grey clouds. Nadra could tell that it would only be a few minutes before the first signs of thunder would make themselves apparent in the sky. At least it waited until now to start.

They walked along the cobblestone path until they reached the small arched bridge. The river that it crossed was about 20 feet wide. Nadra motioned for the cubs to follow her, and together they walked over the bridge and came across the pathways that went around the Shire. There they were at last- the most peaceful spot in all of Middle Earth that wasn't inhabited by lions. Nadra looked around. Aside from all of the circular doors in the hills, the trees, and everything else the Shire was home too, there weren't any hobbits anywhere. Then she glanced up to the sky for a moment. Nadra guessed that the impending storm was keeping them all inside their homes for the moment. On the bright side, this meant they wouldn't have to see her, at least not yet.

The four cubs walked ahead of Nadra by a few feet and then stopped to look around. The absence of life was strange, almost eerie, even. The sound of the steadily growing winds didn't help the mood, either.

"Where are all the hobbits?", Sayari asked himself. Nadra looked down at him.

"I'm not sure. But right now we should find some cover from the rain.", she answered. But not a second after she said that did she both see and hear the first drop of rain strike the ground in front of her. She ever so softly gasped once she saw it. No wonder the hobbits were in their homes right then.

"It's starting to rain.", said Akarudi to no one in particular. The others took notice of this. In the distance, they could hear the increasing amounts of rain pelt the ground all around the area. Nadra and the cubs knew they needed shelter for the night until the rain would stop the next morning. The lioness looked all around her to find anything that could accomodate them for the night. She noticed that a majority of the Shire's wooden structures weren't far in front of them. They looked like small farm houses for crops. And then she noticed that a small door on one of them was open just a crack. That was their destination now.

"Come on... follow me", Nadra said to the cubs as she started walking again. With that, they all began to tread towards the open farm house. They were rather hasty in doing so, since the rain was beginning to fall faster and harder with every second that went by. After they went over the soft, wet grass patch in front of the farmhouse, they walked upon a small stone surface that surrounded the wooden structure. Nadra went closer to the door and used her snout to push it open. This was a structure built for hobbits, so it was just tall enough for the lioness to fit through. She went into the darkened interior and rapidly shook the rainwater off of her. Just after she did, the cubs entered the structure, now dripping wet from the rain. Ignoring it though, they all looked around the farm. Given the height of the creatures that made use of it, there wasn't much to it. It was a simple wooden farmhouse with a few piles of light yellow hey scattered around the place. There were four glass windows, one on each side of the farm, which gave them some light to see because there were no lights inside the structure. The wood was not painted or decorated, which came off as rather unremarkable. There were a few farm tools hanging off of the walls; two pitchforks, a few shovels, and a handful of other unnamable objects alongside them. It wasn't exactly Pride Rock, bit it would do for the night.

The cubs finished looking around, not that there was much to see anyway. Out of curiosity, Akarudi asked Nadra, "What if the hobbits find us here?"

Nadra was walking over to a pile of hey in the corner of the structure when he asked that. She looked behind her for a moment at Akarudi, and then turned her attention back to the hey stack, climbing on top of it to try and get comfortable. As she did, she answered him. "Don't worry, Akarudi. We just need to tell them that king Simba sent us here, and we'll be able to stay."

The cubs, now beginning to dry off, decided to stay close to Nadra for the night. The four of them scattered as they ran over to her, and climbed onto the hey stack to get close to her. They all settled in and got close together for warmth. Nadra had already settled in, and with the day she'd had before, she was nearly ready to collapse right there on the hey stack. All of the cubs felt that way as well. She was laying on her stomach, with the cubs laying against her in different positions each.

"Well... we're here", said Nadra, taking a deep breath and looking at the four cubs as she did. The lioness was glad that they'd made it without running into any trouble.

"I'm bushed", Sayari said to no one in particular. The other cubs agreed. Soon, after everything was settled, the five creatures were all laying against each other, listening to the sound of the rain outside. It was coming down harder than usual rain, but not necessarily at gale force. It was still peaceful enough as to not seriously disturb anyone from sleeping. **(Author's note: Think of the rain in the T-Rex scene from Jurassic Park, only a little bit softer and no thunder.)**

Nadra's eyes were struggling to stay open. They had been walking here since the first morning after Simba and the others had left. None of them had gone so far in their lives. But they still considered themselves lucky. At least they didn't have to walk to Mordor on foot.

"My paws hurt", said Kijani to Nadra. The lioness, eyes barely open, looked down at the young cub. "Just try to rest now, Kijani. You'll feel better in the morning."

The sound of the rain took over for a moment again. All of them had their breathing become heavier, coming ever closer to sleep. All except, that is, Amani. For some reason he couldn't sleep. It wasn't guilt over his parents' journey to Mordor, it was more along the lines of building up energy through the day from walking, and he was far from tired.

"Nadra?... I can't sleep." he said to the lioness. Nadra looked down at him and she said to him, "Just try to relax yourself, Amani. You'll get to sleep when you need to soon."

And then, something came to Amani in his mind. Something that as soon as he thought of it, he wanted to ask the lioness.

"Hey Nadra?... do you like us?"

Her eyes opened about halfway after he said that. Still half asleep, she smiled and answered, "Of course I do, Amani. You four are the sweetest cubs I've ever know. Your parents are lucky to have you."

When she said this, it only made Amani want to ask his question even more. "Nadra... if you like cubs so much, how come you haven't had any of your own?"

The question had caught her by surprise. She wasn't expecting someone as young as him to be thinking about such things.

"Why would you ask something like that, Amain?", she asked the cub, now curious about his thoughts.

Amani replied, "Well, you're a very nice lioness, and you know how to take care of us. Don't you want to have your own cubs? I mean, you're only looking after us because of my parents' journey."

For a cub, he sure knew how to handle a subject like this.

"Well... I just never did, I guess. I never met the right lion to have them with."

Amani crawled up closer to the lioness. "But... don't you want cubs?"

Nadra opened her eyes a little bit more and answered, "Of course I do, Amani, more than anything in the world. It's just... I want to meet the right lion to be able to help me raise them... maybe to be like you four." She smiled when she said that last part.

Amani, being the curious lion cub that he was, decided to continue the conversation. He said, "Well... have you ever tried finding the right lion?"

Nadra sighed. The cub was asking questions that were so innocent, and yet so troublesome for her. "Well... no, I haven't."

As much as she would've wanted to end the talk right there, Amani kept at it. "Why not?"

Nadra looked away from him. She didn't want him to see the look of sadness she had on her face at that moment. Her eyes were closed now. But she decided to answer him just to avoid him asking any more questions like this.

"It's just... well... because I'm afraid I won't be any good at it. What if I'm no good at raising a family like that? I... I guess I'm just afraid of not being able to raise my own cubs."

Nadra felt stupid talking to a young cub this way, but what she said was true. She was very afraid of not being a good parent if she ever had her own cubs, not being able to protect them or teach them the differences from right and wrong. It was a complicated issue for her. Usually, she wouldn't talk like this to anyone unless it was with one of her closest friends like Kiara or Vitani. Other than that, she kept this matter to herself. But to a young cub like Amani? It was dumb to her.

Amani began to move back to his spot to go to sleep. By now, his brother and both of his cousins were fast asleep. If they were awake, they would never let Amani hear the end of this. But before he started, he gave one last thought to Nadra before he went to sleep.

"Well... you've been doing pretty good with us."

The lioness was caught off guard by that statement. Her eyes opened, and she shifted her head ever so slightly so that she could see Amani get into his spot with the rest of the cubs against her body. Maybe Amani was right.

With that, Nadra slowly closed her eyes and drifted peacefully to sleep, now with her own thoughts and the constant sound of the calm rain outside. Even now, there had yet to be even a single crack of thunder in the sky. It was absolute peace for them in that little wooden farmhouse. However, this is only what it was like for them. For if they had known at that moment what was going to happen to Kopa not an hour from then, they would've raced for the village of Bree through the rain and taken the ring to its final destination themselves.

* * *

While the rain was relatively gentle within the confounds of the Shire, it was not so much that way where the fellowship currently was. They had just passed through the heavily wooded Fornost Erain, filled with tall trees and plants. The gates of Bree was now within sight for all of them. Due to the walking that was required to get this far, many of them had their paws covered in mud, and were all soaking wet. Rafiki, who was still leading the group, treaded past more trees and continued on the stone path to the gates. Kopa was relieved to finally arrive. His paws were aching, and were just begging for rest.

"We're almost there." he said, glancing at Vitani.

The gates of Bree drew ever closer to them. Even through the pounding rain, it was clearly in sight. However, just before they were going to approach the gates, something came across Kopa's mind that had not yet gone through. It was something important.

"Wait, wait." he said, stopping dead in his tracks. The others slowly stopped too and looked at him.

"What it is, Kopa?", asked Pumbaa from the back of the group. The lion looked back to the warthog and then ahead of him, towards the gates. "If we walk into there, how are we going to hide the ring? No one can know we have it."

Nobody knew how to answer that. Beforehand, this was one of those 'cross that bridge when we get to it' type of situations. But now, that river was not an inch ahead of them.

"Rafiki?... do you have any ideas?" Kopa asked Rafiki. The baboon, still holding onto his stick, looked at the lion for a moment, and then at the ring for another. He then said to him, "Hold it de way you did before."

"What?" Kopa didn't understand that at all. What could he have meant by that?

"Hold de ring in your teeth. No one will tink to look dere.", the baboon explained. Then a rather awkward expression grew on Kopa's face. It was one thing to hold it in his teeth before Timon made him the necklace, but to do it again with the grass attached to it? Kopa shot a look back at Timon. The meerkat's face was also looking awkward. Kopa could tell that Timon would be willing to make him a new one later on. That was all the lion needed to do what he did next. He took the necklace off of his neck with his left paw, and used one of his claws to cut the grass in two. As he did, Timon angrily grunted from behind him. Clearly having to tie together grass for him wasn't the most satisfying of things to do. Kopa continued by opening his mouth, carefully placing the ring within the confines of his teeth, and then closing his mouth. The ring tasted disgusting brushing up against his tongue, but thankfully it was only temporary.

Rafiki then softly said to Kopa, "Remember... de ring wants to be found."

With that, Rafiki continued walking towards the gates, with the others following. They were now out of the woods and were right in front of the gates of Bree. Most of them, specifically Simba, were amazed that they hadn't run into any orcs or Nazgul... at least not yet.

The gates were hardly unique in any sense. They were fairly tall and made of thick, thick wood, but otherwise unremarkable. Rafiki then came up to them and knocked on the gates with his stick. He did so rather hard to get the attention of whoever was on the other side, with the fellowship watching. Soon, a much smaller door, small enough for only a man's head to fit through, opened up in the center of the left gate. A man wearing a leather cloak and holding an oil lantern could be seen, who appeared to be the gatekeeper.

"What do you want?", he said to them. Rafiki was about to answer him, but then surprisingly Kovu spoke up from behind.

"We're here to stay the night on a quest we're in.", he said. Once Kovu said that, the small opening on the gate closed, and shortly after that, the left gate creaked opened. The man could now be seen in full view, though not much of his face could be shown. He seemed intrigued by the creatures standing in front of him.

"Lions? What business brings you to Bree?" he said.

Answering him, Rafiki said, "We wish to stay at de inn. Our business is our own."

The man, seeing no harm in letting them stay, turned around and unlocked the gate while saying, "Alright, I meant no offense. It's my job to ask questions after nightfall."

Once he said this, the gate finally creaked open enough to let them through. One by one, the baboon and the lions all entered the gate, walking through the thick, wet mud to do so. Once Timon and Pumbaa, the last of the group, got in, the man continued talking. "There's talk of strange fold abroad...can't be too careful."

They all knew he was talking about the Nazgul. Apparently they were more well known around here than in the Pride Lands.

At last, they were here. The village looked about what they expected it to be. There was wide stone path that curved ahead of them, with a low, rotting fence on the side of it. There were many white painted wooden houses beyond both ends of the path, with trees growing around them as well. Lights were dimly showing from many of the houses around there.

They continued to walk through. The farther in they went, the more men that they saw there. A horse driven cart filled with who knows what went past them, taking absolutely no notice of the lions. Many men were scurrying about for reasons they could only begin to guess. After all, Bree was one of the busiest trading centers in all of Middle Earth. Even with the heavy rain, many cloaked figures went all about, possibly making trades and business deals with one another.

Soon, after hurrying along to avoid any encounters with anyone in particular, the fellowship made their way to a two story building with lights coming out of it. When they got to the doorstep, there was a metal sign swaying in the wind that read 'The Prancing Pony Inn'. This must've been it. Though the name stuck out as downright weird for some of them.

With no hesitation in the slightest, the nine members made their way for the door, pushed it open and walked inside. What they saw was the first floor interior of the inn, which looked quite unusual. There were many men laughing and talking all throughout, and most of them were sitting around tables and a long wooden counter that ran around the middle of the place. The room was a little dimly lit, but there was still enough light to see just fine. People went around everywhere, serving drinks to one another, strangely taking no notice of the fellowship. Not a one took the attention of them, that is except for the inn's keeper who was in the middle of the square shaped counter in the center of the room. They all walked up to it, and the inn keeper took notice of them. He walked closer to them and decided to speak. For some reason, he didn't at all find it strange that lions like these had just walked in.

"Good evening, masters.", he started. "If you're seeking accommodation, we've got some nice, cozy lion sized rooms available, Mr... ah...

The inn keeper clearly didn't know the names of these lions, which was strange to them. Had he not heard any of the stories of the Pride Lands? But it didn't matter. They all knew they needed to keep their identities a secret as best as they could before they left. Simba was the first one to speak.

"Kifo... my name's Kifo... and I'm the leader of this group."

He then looked over to Nala. "And this is my mate, Dawn. The rest of us are my family. We're on a long quest and we need to stay here for the night."

The inn keeper looked intrigued at them all. Then he looked at Rafiki. "I see... and what about the monkey there?"

Simba looked over at the baboon and chose to tell the closest thing to the truth so far. "He's a... friend of mine, accompanying us on our journey."

"I see then.", said the inn keeper. "Well, I hope you get to where you're going then. The best of luck to you."

Simba and Nala both looked at each other, and then to the rest of them all. He said softly, "Trust me. We're going to need it."

* * *

A half hour later, the group was surrounding a wooden table near the corner of the room. Everywhere they looked, there were drunken men laughing, talking to each other, and one was messing around with a rat like creature on his shoulder. It made them glad that they were only staying for one night. There was a single candle in the center of the table, giving off a dim light for them to see in already semi-dim room. Earlier, one of the servants of the inn had given them all spare scraps of meat that they had. For them, it felt ungodly strange to be eating in this sort of fashion, but not a one of them had had anything to eat since they left the Pride Lands, so they took what they could get.

Even though the other visitors of the inn took little notice of the Pride Landers (mostly due to their drunkenness), a few men and even a dwarf or two came by their side at one point. Each of them, Simba in particular, were virtually bombarded with questions about themselves and their lives. Their questions were mostly tame, such as 'are the stories true?' or 'how did you fight off Scar?' and other things. And for the most part, the Pride Landers had no problem answering them.

But occasionally, one of them would ask a very outlandish or even uncomfortable question. One of the men decided to ask Kiara if she was single, and another of them in particular who seemed more drunk than the rest asked Simba and Nala 'did you two do it in the jungle?', followed by wasted laughter that would've put the hyenas to shame. It was then that Simba decided to stop answering anything. This was getting out of control, even if they were drunk.

After the men and the dwarf left them alone, the six lions and the baboon all sat around the table, talking about their past experiences to lighten the mood after what they'd gone through so far. Simba was currently telling them about the snail slurping contest he once had with Timon in the jungle as a teenager. None of them had ever heard it before, which made it all the more hilarious for them.

"And then we got into this slug eating contest, right?", Simba went on. "And so Timon's going like 'I'm the snail slurping champion' or something, so guess what? I beat him so easy, it was just Hakuna Matata times a hundred for me. And it's like I said, I _invented_ Hakuna Matata. And well, let' just say we never saw too many snails after that."

The group was all laughing like crazy at this, Kiara especially. "I can't believe you've never told me that before!" she said in between laugh outbursts. Kovu, glancing around for a second, brought up to the group, "Hey, where is he and Pumbaa anyway?"

If he had known where they were right at that moment, his laughter would've choked him to death. Timon and Pumbaa were both by the square shaped counter. Pumbaa was awkwardly watching Timon attempting to drink an entire pint of beer from a mug, hanging onto the side of it while dunking his head into it. Not that it was going very well for him. He stepped off and away from the mug, completely disoriented and unable to stand up straight, moving across the counter towards Pumbaa. The warthog looked upon his friend with a very awkward and slightly embarrassed look on his face. He said to the meerkat, "Uh, Timon? I think you've had enough to drink now."

Timon, taking virtually no notice of his friend's advice, suddenly made a huge burp sound from his mouth, and was talking in slow, slurred and hard to understand speech. It became clear to Pumbaa at that moment: his best friend was drunk.

"E-enough? L-lets me tell you somethin'. buddy! I... I'll tell YOU... when I've had enough. It's... it's-it's you who's had... enough... had... buddy... oy." the meerkat said. Pumbaa had never seen him like this before. It was embarrassing, really. As Timon spoke, his uncontrollable laughter began to take hold. His laughs were long, drawn out and rather whistle-like and high pitched, as only drunken laughter could be.

Back at the table the fellowship was at, they were wondering where they were. Kopa was the one who decided to look for them. "I'll go see where they are", he said while getting up. But just after he did, Kiara turned to him and whispered, "Hey Kopa, you'd better take the ring with you so no one sees it."

Kopa nodded to his sister, and then took the ring in his claws, placing it back in his teeth. Then he went around to look for Timon and Pumbaa. Even with all the men's laughter all around, it wasn't hard to follow where they were thanks to the burp Timon had made. Kopa followed the general direction it came from and went that way.

Back with the two best friends, Pumbaa was futile in trying to get through to Timon.

"Timon... don't you think you should stop drinkin' that stuff now?"

Timon replied, or at least tried to in slow, slurred speech with the intoxicated laughter, "L-listen here, you sexy hyena sc-scum you. I... been with this otha' meerkat now. So...so just, just cancel the weddin' now, Shenzi Mare..da..jaklaf...da..."

Timon could hardly even talk now. Pumbaa had just given up reason and decided to watch Timon drink himself closer to passing out.

"You know, what I-I think here? I think... thinksah, that YOU should...just, ah... y-you know what forget it."

Kopa looked in their direction and saw them. He called out to them, "Hey Timon! Pumbaa! Come over here, my dad's telling us about how he beat you in a snail slurping contest!"

Suddenly, rage began to build up within Timon's drunken mind. "H-he...he's whah now?!"

Kopa walked closer to the two of them. He looked over at Pumbaa. "He's drunk, isn't he?"

Pumbaa muttered to him, "I've never seen him like this."

Timon stumbled over to face Kopa in front of him, looking quite mad at him, too.

"Now y-you list-ten here..h-here, Kopa. YOU-y-yu don't even knowses what..I...you...er we all beens through, tonigt. Alright, your dads's wrong! W-R-O-G...S...J...O...uggh."

Timon's mind couldn't take it anymore. Beginning to fall over and pass out, Timon collapsed onto the floor between Pumbaa and Kopa, spilling the beer mug all over the floor with him. The liquid spilled out everywhere, especially onto him. If the scent of it was strong in his breath, it was all over him now.

Kopa glanced at the warthog. "Gee, does he always get like this when he's drunk?"

Pumbaa then bent over to pick the meerkat up in his tusks. "Beats me. He's never had this stuff before."

Kopa snickered at that. "Boy do I believe that. You'd better keep an eye on him, Pumbaa."

That was when it happened. The moment that would befall upon Kopa which would make him mentally suffer worse than he ever did out in the wild. From the spilled beer on the floor, Pumbaa's hooves slipped against the wooden floor and fell right into Kopa, knocking him down to the ground against his back with a loud _thud_. Because of this, the ring flew out of his mouth and flipped around above him in the air. Time almost seemed to slow down as it fell closer to him. By now, everyone in the room took notice of what was going on, even the members of the fellowship. Rafiki in particular looked shocked. A look of worry and terror spread across all of their faces as the ring came into view for all to see.

In an attempt to catch the ring, Kopa extended his right paw out to catch it while it fell to him. But as fate would have it, the ring didn't land in the center of his paw like he'd hoped. Rather, it landed in the one place he didn't want it more than any other: The claw separations of his paw, and it slipped deeper into it as well. And as fate would also have it, the one, single thing that he promised to never do finally occurred.

He was wearing the One Ring.


	10. I See You

**Author's Note: This is the chapter I've wanted to do since day one of this story, so I hope you review it so I can see how I did on it.**

* * *

**Chapter X: I See You**

What happened next could only be described as eerily supernatural. The lion vanished into seemingly thin air the instant the ring slipped onto him. For a brief instant of a second, Kopa thought that turning invisible was the worst of the ring's short term effects. But tragically, it turned out to be the best and least of them.

* * *

_Kopa opened his eyes to find himself in what looked like an entirely different world. He was laying on his back on the ground. The first thing that he noticed was the most obvious: the wind. It made an ominous, constant, and immutable sound that the lion had never heard before in his life. It was a low pitched whistling sound that only wind like this would be able to make. The strength of the vigorous tempest was pushing against him as if it were trying to take him somewhere. And the wind was cold enough to send chills up Kopa's spine. Becoming more wary of his surroundings, Kopa struggled to get up on all fours, and looked around a bit. What he saw was a rocky, desolate, and uninhabited world with a rough, course type of ground that spread out in all directions from him. Kopa couldn't see a thing in front of him, as everything that was even a foot away from him was blurred to the point where it looked unnatural. The colors of this place were dark, desaturated and lifeless in every sense. There was no doubt at all anymore: Kopa was in another world. _

_He tried to call out for someone. Anyone. But it did no good, as his voice was utterly muted out by the sound of the wind. Kopa took a few steps in one direction, and then another. The lion was thoroughly helpless and lost. His mane was whisping directionless in the wind, giving him an unsettling look along with the rest of this world. It was painful to look at this place; the lackof color, the desolate and hard surface that went on as far as he could see, and blurry winds that gave the world a horrifyingly unsettling look and tone. But as bad as all that was, it wasn't the end of it. What Kopa was about to see next was going to be a thousand times worse than anything Zira could've ever conceivably done to him._

_While he was trying to move against the wind, which made it harder to walk, Kopa kept his eyes closed due to the strength of it. But his eyes didn't need to be open for what he was going to hear. From behind, a voice said something to him. This was no ordinary voice: It was a voice that sounded low pitched, monstrous, and just cried of bloodlust. It spoke slowly, and gave of an otherworldly, eerie echo throughout the world._

_"You cannot hide."_

_Kopa, upon hearing the voice, felt chills and goosebumps run in all directions around his body. His eyes opened, and he struggled to turn around. But what he saw when he did, was the most terrifying thing he had ever seen before in his life. His eyes widened with horror at the sight in front of him. That entire side of the world had changed from grey and lifeless to a deep shade of yellow, orange, and fiery red. The wind had changed from bone chillingly cold to blazingly hot to the point where it felt as if it could set anything on fire. And in the center of it all was the worst of it: It was perfectly circular, made completely of fire, and had the fire coming out of the black line down the center of it. There was no mistaking it. The Eye of Sauron._

_"I see you."_

_It spoke slowly and otherworldly, making another, even more low pitched whistling roar as it spoke. There was no mouth, so the words it spoke were coming from a conscious level that Kopa couldn't even begin to comprehend. The eye resembled that of a reptile's eye, which ominously suggested that Sauron was more monster than man, which made perfect sense to Kopa. The tone of the voice was worse than Scar's ever could've been. As Kopa looked upon it, he walked back from it as best as he could, but the wind was just too strong. It was pushing the lion towards the eye, despite how hard he was fighting it. Kopa tried to scream, but not a single sound came from his mouth at all. He tried to call for Vitani, Simba, Kiara, and then Kovu. Not a sound. Likely because it was utterly drowned out by the voice of the Eye of Sauron._

_"There is no life in the void. Only... death."_

_While Sauron was saying this, Kopa had had enough. He lifted up his paw, and used the other to get the ring off of him. It did no good, however, The ring was on him too tight. He struggled and screamed to get it off, trying his best to roar for someone; anyone to hear. He was ripping at his paws, falling to the ground using all his strength to get the ring off of him. But it was on him too tight. The winds pushed him ever closer to the dreaded eye, unimaginably fearful of what would happen if he got any closer. Kopa then took out his claws and furiously ripped at the ring from his paw. While still on the ground, he was invoulentarily inching closer to the monsterous eye, which was still making the ominous echoing roar sound. Listening to it long enough would be enough to drive anyone insane. Becoming desperate to get the ring off, Kopa used his teeth to bite it off of him, which was a generally fruitless endeavor. His teeth sunk into his own paw, which allowed blood to stream out from it. He was mutely roaring with all his might, biting at the ring and clawing at it with all his might. Truly, this was testing his limits._

_The lion was about to come in contact with the fiery eye, which was now towering above him like some sort of relentless monster. It was right then that Kopa realized that the eye was the one causing the wind, which would draw its victims closer to it. He screamed. He roared. He was mutilating his paw just to get so small a thing off of it. Tears of pain were emerging from his eyes, realizing it was almost too late to get it off. But with the now huge amounts of red blood that were streaming from his paw, the red liquid was ironically loosening the golden form off of him. With his teeth enclosed around it, his mane flowing everywhere it could, and his eyes reddening from the pain, the ring began to shift from its position. Kopa was not even seconds away from coming in contact with the Eye of Sauron, when at last, it happened._

_The ring came off._

* * *

The golden apparatus was now within the clutches of Kopa's teeth, where it was before this mess happened. His eyes were as wide as they could be, staring down at his half mutilated and shredded paw, murderously panting and gasping to catch his breath. The pain shot across his body as he looked upon it. Blood was streaming out all over it, but at least the ring was off of it. Using his left paw, he took the ring out of his now aching mouth and held it within his claws. The stress of the situation was making his entire body sweat with fear. It wasn't until then that Kopa noticed his surroundings.

He was standing up again the way he was in the other world, but now all elements of it were gone. Kopa looked around him. The same men who were only minutes ago laughing and drinking themselves away were now eerily silent, looking upon the lion with fear and confusion. None of them took any notice of their drinks anymore. Most particularly, they were staring at his bloody and torn paw, and how small bits of flesh were hanging off of it. Kopa glanced at it again for a second with a look of disgust, and then back up directly in front of him. The other eight members of the fellowship were were staring blankly at him, largely with fear and worry. Vitani in partiular was panting, gasping for air in fear, almost as if she had been with him just then. Vitani then saw the condition of Kopa's right paw. She gasped, and then ran over to him. She got close and nuzzled him, fearing the worst.

"Oh, Kopa... what happened?"

The lion tried his hardest to find a response, but came up with nothing. He simply looked at her deeply through her eyes, and leaned his head against hers for comfort.

"It was aweful, Vitani. It was... I still see it."

"See what, Kopa?" she asked him. The lion was now seriously fighting back tears from his eyes. He didn't even want to mention what he saw, but he had to... for Vitani.

"I saw... the eye. That... horrible eye." he said.

This unsettled Vitani quite a bit. "An eye? Who's eye?" she asked him. Just by saying that much, Kopa felt his throat become heavy and uncomfortable. As he gave his answer, a subtle tear emerged from Kopa's reddened eyes and rand down his face.

"The... the Eye of Sauron, Vitani. I saw it."

Every member, including Vitani, gasped at this. None of them wanted to believe that Sauron was still alive, especially in the form of the fiery eye Rafiki described. But now it was clear as day that it was true. Sauron's spirit was still there in Middle Earth.

"The eye of Sauron?... how?" Simba asked his son. He took a few steps closer to his son and ironically looked at him in the eyes. Kopa was beginning to shed more tears just looking at his father. Already they'd all gone through too much for so small a thing.

"Dad..." Kopa started. Simba decided that he didn't want to know the details. It was putting his son through too much pain to describe it. "Never mind, Kopa... you don't have to tell me."

The lion looked up at his father and tried to hold his head up to look at him. He took a step away from Vitani and rested his head against Simba, already mentally scarred from the journey. Simba, seeing the way his son was now, felt hugely guilty over the situation. It was his fault.

"Kopa... I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this ever happened."

This is when Rafiki, who was watching this from behind, decided to speak up. Simba looked back at him as he did.

"So do all who live to see such times, Simba. But dat is not for dem to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with de time dat is given to us."

He took a step closer to Kopa, looking straight at him. "Dere are other forces at work in dis world, Kopa, besides de will of evil. Simba was meant to find de ring, so you were meant to have it."

Kopa thought about that briefly. Maybe he was meant to have the ring. And it really wasn't Simba's fault that he found it. Aside from not knowing the myth as a cub, it was fate that brought him to it. Kopa looked up at his father for a moment, and then back to Rafiki.

"Well that's an encouraging thought.", he said softly. Kopa then went back over to Vitani, and they came together again for comfort. If there was any time a mate needed a mate, it was now.

Just then, Timon was waking up, still on Pumbaa's tusks. He groaned as his eyes opened, and he slowly got his stability back, looking around him. he was still somewhat drunk, but not nearly as illiterate as before. He saw the scene in front of him and asked them all, still in somewhat slurred speech,

"Hey?... What'd I miss?"


	11. Approach of the Dark Riders

**Chapter XI: Approach of the Dark Riders**

In the middle of a dark forest, a fair distance from where the fellowship was, three mutilated corpses lay side by side, covered in blood that was still gushing from their bodies. A majority of their bones were shattered and in pieces, and one of them had their back leg ripped viciously off and had it tossed into the woods. If one were to see these dead bodies up close enough, they would be just barely recognizable. What was left of them had dark grey fur, walked on four legs, and appeared to be carnivores based on what remained of their teeth. Their names, or at least what they once were, were Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed. Three hyenas that were the best of friends together had been slaughtered in cold blood by the swords forged of the strongest metal. They lay side by side in the now deep red grass, caused by their relentlessly bleeding forms.

But while a sight like this would certainly be one to remember, this was not what made the spot in the thick woods a terrifying place to be at that moment. For surrounding the dead bodies were the ones who had caused their inhumane deaths in the first place- none other than the Dark Riders and servants of Sauron himself. the Nazgul.

These riders rode threatening black horses that some said were just as merciless as they were. Thousands of years ago, the Nazgul were once men themselves. In fact, they were at one point the very nine men that the great rings were gifted to just before the One Ring was forged. but due to the power of those rings thousands of years previously, their physical forms had long faded away, and were now completely shrouded in dark robes, faceless. Their cloaks were the only way that they could be visible to mortal beings, as their physical form was long gone. They were neither alive nor dead. Rumor had it that if one were to get close enough to them for too long, they would experience nightmares, unconsciousness, and even death if it was a longer encounter. This was an effect known as the Black Breath. But while all this was certainly to be feared, it was hardly the worst thing about them. The most terrifying aspect that came from these riders was the unmistakable screeching sound that they would make. It was a truly awful and scarring noise that would strike fear into even the bravest of warriors. It was high pitched, evil, and all around unsettling.

The nine riders of Sauron surrounded the three dead hyenas in a circle. They were the least satisfying lives they had ever taken. While the three hyenas certainly weren't the nicest of beings, they were far from deserving of these fates. But the scene was interrupted once the nine riders began to sense something. The faceless servants all looked in the direction of Bree, a good two miles away. The energy they were feeling at that moment was unmistakable: Someone had just worn the One Ring.

The nine riders readied their horses, drew out their swords, and screeched that hideous and otherworldly sound that characterized them. All at once, they raced off through the forest, abandoning their latest (mostly) innocent slaughters, and headed for the direction of the ringbearer. The fast paced steps the horses took ripping against the muddy ground was possibly proof that even the horses they rode were possessed and demonized. If the fellowship though their journey was already hard enough, they had not yet seen even a thing.

* * *

Rafiki led the eight members through another wet, flat grassy plain outside of the east edge of Bree. After what had happened at the inn, it was decided that the best thing they could do was leave the village while their identities and their strength were still intact. Before they had left, the inn keeper had given Kopa two things: a sufficient amount of gauze to aid his wounded paw, and a thin chain necklace to hold the ring around his neck, much stronger than any grass. But wanting to keep the ring a secret, Kopa had to lie and said that the necklace was for his mate. So in spite of the experience with the eye, the inn keeper had no knowledge of the ring, though not to say that he wasn't suspicious. As of now, the fellowship was moving east in search of a new place of rest. The rain had stopped during the encounter with the eye, so the pounding torrent from before had long since stopped. The dark clouds were moving away as well, and the full moon could be clearly seen as well. The moon had yet to reach its highest point, so it wasn't midnight just yet, which meant there was still a chance to get an acceptable amount of sleep before morning.

So far, they were having little luck with that. Everybody, even Rafiki, stayed as close to Kopa as they could. Being the ringbearer, he needed comfort given what had happened to him at the inn. Vitani in particular stayed alongside him. Every once in a while she would glance down at the ring, now held around Kopa's neck by a thin chain necklace. It was such a strange fate that they had to suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing. Simba and Nala also kept close to their son. It disturbed them both to have to see him in such an agonizing condition, specifically his paw. It was likely to take several weeks before it healed fully, according to Rafiki. Kopa, although promosing never to wear the wretched ring again, still had the image of the lidless, burning eye imprinted into his memory. He held his head low in sadness and fear. The eye would be something he would unwillingly remember from now for the rest of his natural life.

A million and one thoughts ran through their minds. If Kopa had worn the ring, would he live longer, as the myth entails? If so, how much longer? It pained the lion to think that now he might outlive his mate, or even worse, his own children. He tried to push these thoughts aside, as they were making him mentally sick, but they pressed on. Whether it was an effect of the ring was something he never could know.

What exactly could Sauron have meant by 'there is no life in the void'? What was the void? Could it be Mordor? Mount Doom? Either one of those would've made sense to him.

And these kinds of thoughts were not absent from the others as well. Rafiki had mentioned that if the ring was to be worn, Sauron would gain knowledge of the wearer's surroundings, and the Nazgul would come after and kill whoever wore it. This was why they left Bree; to get as far away as they possibly could from where they were undoubtably heading now. Due to this, every member (minus Timon of course, as he was still asleep on Pumbaa's tusks) was on guard, ready for an attack from any direction. But as Rafiki mentioned, there were dark forces at play besides the will of evil.

* * *

They continued walking onward through the plains of grass, searching for any possible place to rest for the night. At first they found nothing, but as they went on, they saw something begin to emerge in the distance. It wasn't a termite mound this time. For now it was what appeared to be a gigantic hill in the shape of a wide mesa **(Author's Note:** **The types of rock forms you'd find in Monument Valley)**. The hill was made of stone with significant amounts of moss and grass growing along the sides of it. Atop the stony hill was what looked like ruins of a watchtower, where only the first level was still standing. Perfect.

"Maybe we could stop there", said Kovu. Rafiki looked back to him and the group and replied, "Ah yes, dat is Weathertop."

He looked towards it and continued, "I remember dis place. Quite a history it has, indeed."

Kiara asked the baboon, "Can we stay there for the night, Rafiki?"

Still looking ahead, he replied to her, "Yes. Dat is where we'll stay."

* * *

After a bit of a rough climb up the stone pathway to the top (mostly because Pumbaa was having a hard time carrying Timon on his tusks), they arrived to the top of Weathertop. There, they all got a better look at the place. There wasn't much to it, really. It was a mostly flat circular surface of cracking stonework surrounded by thick, cracked and crumbling stone pillars. It took up the entire summit of the hill, which was more than enough space to accommodate them all. There was no roof or shielding of any kind, so the moon and stars were in clear view for them. Kopa and Vitani were the first ones to settle in. Right in the dead center of the place, Kopa collapsed of exhaustion from the day's events, and was ready to fall asleep right there. Vitani settled in close to his side and Kopa softly rested his head atop hers.

Kiara and Kovu went closer to the pillars and both laid down side by side not far from the edge. Kiara, witnessing what had happened to her brother, was also a bit shaken by the day's events. She rested her head up against Kovu's mane, getting comfortable close to him. Simba and Nala decided to sleep in the space between Kiara, Kovu, Kopa and Vitani, to ensure that they could protect either side of their family if harm came their way. And as for Timon and Pumbaa, Timon was already fast asleep, both arms hanging off the warthog's tusks, so Pumbaa just settled into a spot nearby Simba and Nala, with Timon still asleep. As soon as Pumbaa got comfortable, however, Timon fell off of his tusks and just fell onto the ground, not disturbing him from his sleep in the least. Pumbaa rolled his eyes about his friend's condition, and simply decided to sleep like that.

Rafiki, the leader of them all, decided not to sleep just yet. He was well aware of the new dangers presented from the incident at Bree, and didn't want anything to go wrong while the others slept. Still holding onto his stick, he walked over to the edge of the stone surface and looked out in the direction of Bree, which could just faintly be seen from there. Nala was the first one to notice this. She looked up and said to him, "Rafiki?... what're you doing?"

The baboon looked back at her and replied, "Dere are many dangers now dat de dark riders know where we are. I must keep watch for dem."

Then a thought came to Nala that hadn't before. She asked Rafiki, "Rafiki?... if the black riders do find us, would we be able to fight them off?"

The baboon replied, "Ah, dat would be a very difficult task, Nala. For you see, de black riders are nieder loving nor dead. But if one was strong enough... den I suppose dey could be fought."

"Yes, but could lions like us fight them? We can't wield the same weapons men or elves can. I mean... teeth and claws can only get you so far." she said, looking down at her paws for a moment.

Rafiki said to her, "It is difficult... but it can be done."

Nala sighed with relief at hearing this. She had no idea what the Nazgul looked like, but it comforted her knowing that at least the could be fought. She turned back over to Simba to see him staring deeply up at the stars. He looked sad about something, although Nala didn't have to ask what it was about. Curious though, she talked to him.

"Simba... I know you're thinking about what happened at Bree."

Her mate looked over at her amd said, "When that ring was on Kopa, I thought that was it. I thought we'd lost him, for good this time."

Simba could feel his throat getting heavy, nearing tears at not just what happened, but what was to come.

"I was scared too, Simba. We should be glad that the ring won't last much longer."

Simba sighed softly and sadly. "I'm just worried about what's going to happen next."

"What do you mean?" Nala asked. Simba replied, "Well... if this is what's happened to our son just two days in, imagine what could happen by the time we actually get there. I just don't..."

He stopped right there. His eyes were beginning to water at these thoughts, and Nala could tell. "I just don't want to lose him again, Nala. He's already done too much."

By now, he began to sob as he talked. The sadness within him was becoming more apparent by the second. Nala rested her head against his and said to him, "I don't want to lose him either, Simba. He means as much to you as he does to me. But it's something he has to do, not just for us... but it's for all of Middle Earth."

Simba sighed. "Maybe... I just want him to be able to make it out alive. I mean... he's got kids of his own, it'd kill them if this journey takes his life."

Nala nuzzled Simba softly and whispered to him, "Well if that happens, at least we'll die with him."

Simba looked at Nala. She had never said anything like that before. "Nala... I've never heard you talk like that before... that's the bravest thing you've ever said." he said to her. Nala blushed a little bit when he said that. Softly, the two of them stopped talking and rested against one another, slowly drifting off to sleep. By the time they did, all of the others were fast asleep as well. Even Kopa, emotionally scarred and all, managed to fall into a peaceful sleep, and dreamt of returning home to his cubs alive and well. However, they were still only dreams...

Rafiki was the only one of them still awake. The silence of the moment was no longer eerie or unsettling. It was a peaceful, relaxing kind of silence that only a starry night like this could bring. Rafiki looked up to the stars with some worry in his face, something rarely seen for him. He whispered, "Oh, Mufasa... every day we grow closer to de dark lands... but prince Kopa is falling weaker and weaker from de power of de One Ring... oh, give de boy de strength to survive."

The silence was broken as a calm breeze went through the ruins of the watchtower, symbolizing Mufasa's spirit. Rafiki smiled at this. They were a good enough distance from Bree. Maybe the Nazgul wouldn't find them after all. Maybe fate would cover up their tracks enough so that they wouldn't be found. Perhaps fate would give Kopa the strength he needed to survive the journey.

But as they say, fate can be cruel sometimes.


	12. The Nightmare

**Author's Note: I got the idea for this chapter during my latest revision of Chapter IV, where it mentioned that Zira could've gotten a hold of the ring. I never gave it much thought, but I was watching The Lion King II while I typed this, and I realized that Zira getting a hold of it wasn't so far fetched. I know it's a bit late in the story to mention it, but I just really liked the idea of The One Ring being the cause of her insanity. If you think about it like that, that makes the battle scene in TLK2 actually a war over the ring, just like the battles in the LOTR Trilogy. I just really loved that idea, and I'm curious as to what you, the reader, will say about it as well. **

**Also, I decided to make this a dream sequence because I mentioned earlier that when the Nazgul are close, they can trigger nightmares to anyone nearby; sort of wondering if anyone would pick up on that. (Not to mention I didn't want it to become repetitive having to read the word "ring" so many times in one chapter). One other thing: I recommend reading this chapter while listening to the song "The One Ring", a soundtrack from Lord of the Rings. (Not the One Direction parody, the one that starts up with a soft chorus). I think it fits the mood well, and it's all around a great track.**

**Well, that was a mouthful. Without further ado, ****Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter XII: The Nightmare**

_It was a full hour before the sun was to rise. The young lioness cub was laying on her side against a rough, stone ground. A flesh wound was on the side she was laying on, no doubt slash marks from lion claws. Blood was subtly streaming its way out against the cub's fading golden fur. She was sobbing, not because of her injuries, but because the only one who had ever loved her was dead. Mercilessly slaughtered in cold blood. She laid there, sobbing softly and torturously until suddenly a cold, dark voice called out to her from behind._

_"Vitani, get up now. It's time to begin the day's training."  
_

_The voice was coming from none other than her own mother- Zira. Not a week before, she had mercilessly killed and maimed the only one Vitani had ever truly loved in life. Now, they were exiled to the barren outlands, with little food or water anywhere, the farthest place a cub should be raised from._

_"Vitani! I said get up, now!"_

_The cub looked over to her mother, standing against a sky still filled with clear stars. She was clearly getting impatient with her. Though being the headstrong cub she was, Vitani gave her a dirty look and rolled back over to try and fall asleep once more. Not because she was tired, but because she would rather have died right then and there than obey the killer of who was to be her future mate. Vitani expected and was well prepared for what Zira did next. She walked over to her rebellious adopted daughter, and lashed out her claws against her body as fast as lightning, which made her slam into a hard stone wall that made up the cave she was in. She smashed into it head first, intensifying her wounds. A thin stream of blood was coming from her mouth now, and one of her teeth had cracked. Any other mother would've taken care of this right away, but sadly, Zira was hardly worthy of even being called one._

_"When I say get up, I mean it, Vitani!"_

_Becoming infuriated, the cub could hold it within no more. She had officially had it with the psychopath she had yet to address as mother over the last week. She growled, and in a fit of rage, the cub shouted at her, "NO! Never again, Zira! You're a sick, twisted murderer! You killed the only one I ever loved! As far as I'm concerned, you're not a mother at all! The only one who would have you as a mother would be the dark lord Sauron himself!"_

_Zira gasped at her 'daughter's outburst. She had been very quiet over the last seven days, and had never spoken a word to her since the exile. The outburst was far from tolerable for Zira. She growled and crouched down to Vitani, the same way a hunting lioness would crouch right before attacking a zebra or an antelope. in a low, creepy tone, she said to her,_

_"That's it, young lady! I will not accept that tone from you!"_

_Abruptly and without warning, Zira bit down on the cub hard with her teeth, and pressed harder down, which needless to say was causing shards of pain to shoot all throughout Vitani's body. Zira's teeth were ripping through the cub's skin, which had effects on her that hardly needed to be described. But being the rebel she was, she did not squeal or scream. She resisted the pain and held her screams in as best as she could, feeling determined to not be deterred by Zira's abuse. Blood was gushing out all over her now, but Zira didn't give a second thought about it. Through her gritted teeth, she said, "Vitani... you will listen to me."_

_Struggling to handle the pain, Vitani looked up straight at her mother's eyes and also through gritted teeth said, "Never. Not after what you did to Kopa and-"_

_Zira, with another unexpected move, tossed the cub out of her mouth and again slammed her against a large rock near where she originally was. The pain was excruciating and unbearable, as now several of her bones were broken. She landed on the ground and used all of her strength to look up to Zira. If she was mad before, now she was infuriated._

_"Don't you EVER say that name around here, Vitani! You need to forget about him if we're going to be ready to avenge Scar! And if you don't... I'll kill you, Vitani."_

_That last part Zira whispered in a soft, eerie and creepy fashion. At the same time, she unsheathed her claws, ready to strike her again at any second. The cub was struggling to form words at this point. She moaned with pain and could hardly move anymore, but she still needed to defend herself. She looked up to Zira and said,_

_ "Go on and kill me... maybe then I'll get to be with Kopa again."_

_She could hardly talk louder than a whisper at this point, but Zira still heard loud and clear what she said. Responding, she sheathed her claws again, and her tone of voice suddenly became calm, but if one were to hear it, it would be even worse than before._

_"Well... I guess that means you'll just have to live then."_

_With that, Zira started towards the exit of the cave, not even having an ounce of compassion for her wounded daughter. Before she left, she looked back at her and coldly said, "You brought this on yourself, Vitani. If only you'd listened..."_

_With that, the lioness left._

_Now the cub laid there, motionless and bleeding. Ever since Kopa had died, she had come to expect this sort of abuse from Zira, so this was hardly anything that damaging to her. Sadly, her younger brother Kovu, who was born hardly three days before the murder, was going through even worse torment at the time. For he was the supposed heir to Scar's throne (according to Zira at least), so his training was a much higher priority for Zira than hers._

_Despite the unbearable pain and extreme loss of blood, Vitani fell back asleep in a matter of seconds, trying to get anything and everything she could out of it. For this would be only one of many countless training related torture acts she would sustain at the hands of who she refused to call mother until much later on. And with Nala, queen of the Pride Lands pregnant with her second child at the time, that would certainly become part of the plan once he or she was born._

_Hardly three days before Kovu had met Kiara, Zira had taken Vitani to a low lying river in the outlands, and forced her head under the water, effectively drowning her until she was forced against her will to address her as "mother"._

_This was only what she knew. But alas, there were much more, and much darker things about the lioness's objective that she and every other outlander didn't know. By the end of Zira's life, she would come dangerously close to achieving vengeance, only seconds away from bringing death upon king Simba. But there was a secret to it all that no one knew by any means. _

_It was never about avenging Scar. It was never about killing Simba or Kiara. It was never about giving Kovu the throne to the Pride Lands. No, it was about retrieving so small a thing, and yet so dangerous of a thing. For through everything the lioness had planned, she was after one thing and one thing only: The Ring of Power. _

_While Scar was king and she was queen, the two of them had discovered the ring in its hiding spot, the back of Pride Rock's cave. And it never took them long to discover how to use it. By the end of Scar's time as king, they had both become obsessed with it, never wanting it out of their sight. In fact, Scar had figured out how to wear it without turning invisible, something only immortal beings were able to do up until then. Zira on the other hand, became even more possessed by it than Scar was. And through all the planning, abusing, and even indirectly murdering, it was never about vengeance. It was all about reclaiming the One Ring; she had only used everyone and everything else to try and get to that point. Something Vitani would not realize until much, much later, when the full effects of the ring were known to her and her family as well..._

* * *

Vitani's eyes shot open and she suddenly awoke on all fours, gasping for breath. She looked around, panting heavily. She saw generally nothing different from before she fell asleep. All the members of the fellowship were around her, sleeping soundly within the confines of a crumbling circular stone structure. And to her side was Kopa, alive and well, mated to her. The sight of all this could not have relieved the lioness more. Finally catching her breath enough to breathe normally after about 15 seconds, she sighed and layed back down on her stomach next to Kopa. But it was strange- why did she have that nightmare now of all times? Hardly any member of the fellowship had ever referenced Zira or anything about her directly to her. So why was she like this?

She figured that if anyone could help her, it was Rafiki. Standing up on all fours once more, she looked behind her where she last saw the baboon standing guard against any intruders. Only there was one small problem... Rafiki was no longer there.

Confused, she walked over to the spot where he once was, careful as to not wake anyone up and looked around. She whispered out his name a few times. "Rafiki?... Rafiki! Are you here?"

She waited for a second. She got little response outside of dead silence. But unknown to her or anyone else, the silence was about to be shattered. For at the opposite edge of the place from where she was, a murderously loud shout came from the pathway that led up to there. It was unexpected, and it echoed through the air around them. Fortunately, the voice was not unfamiliar to her.

"Simba! Kopa!"

It was Rafiki, who sounded like he was running up the stone path. Vitani turned around towards the end of that path, expecting Rafiki to appear. But he didn't. Vitani guessed that he was far down, near the base of Weathertop. She took a few steps closer.

"Rafiki?... What is it?", Vitani shouted out to him. After a moment, the others began to awake, disturbed by the shouting going on. They were waking up casually, as if they were back at Pride Rock. A few of them looked around. But while they were all still extremely tired, Rafiki's next spoken sentence would be the one that would change the situation entirely.

"Run! De Nazgul! Dey're here! Dey've found us!"

* * *

**Sorry this chapter was a little short, I've been busy lately. The next one will be longer, I promise.**


	13. A Knife in the Dark

**Author's Note: I recently re-watched Fellowship of the Ring to get inspiration for this chapter, and I realize that there were actually five Nazgul attacking at Weathertop, not nine. I know that there were just five, but I sort of forgot that while typing the last chapter. Well, I guess it's too late to change that now. And the way I see it, it makes it a bit more suspenseful. Nine riders, nine fellowship members. Let me know if it works in the reviews so I can know.**

* * *

**Chapter XIII: A Knife in the Dark**

Rafiki's echoing calls did not go unnoticed throughout the summit Weathertop. One by one, the lions all got up off the ground and on to all fours, looking over to where they heard him. Timon and Pumbaa were startled out of their sleep at the call. By now, Timon's drunkenness from Bree had largely dissipated, and was now back to his usual self. Not that he wanted to be at that moment.

"Hey, what's going on?... Where are we?" the meerkat asked, rubbing the back of his head. He stood up on Pumbaa's tusk and began to climb up onto his head again. While he did, Pumbaa replied to him, "It's a long story, Timon."

Simba and a few others were subconsciously hoping the same thing simultaneously: That they didn't just hear what they thought they did, and that they were just imagining it. Sadly, this was not the case. Rafiki ran up to the top of the path that led to where they were. It was hard to tell in the dark, but he looked as if he just came out of a fight. His fur was dirty and ruffled, and some scratch marks were faintly visible across his chest. He looked around briefly, and then fixed his eyes on them. Kopa took a few steps towards the baboon, fearing the worst.

"Rafiki?... what's-"

Kopa never got to finish that sentence. Rafiki ran up to him and said, "Kopa... dey're here..."

He whispered it to him, talking frantically and in a frightened tone.

"What? Who's here?" the lion asked him, although he knew for absolute certain what the response was going to be even before Rafiki gave it.

"De Nazgul... de riders of Sauron. Dey've come for you... dey've come for de ring."

The reaction to this answer came first from Timon and Pumbaa. They both screamed in fear at the very thought of the Nazgul coming within a hundred miles of them, and Pumbaa jumped back a little bit, forcing Timon to fall off from his head and onto his back. Under his breath, Timon mumbled, "The things I do for you people..."

Briefly, Kopa glanced down at the shiny ring hanging off the chain necklace around his neck, now somewhat fearing for his life. Such a small thing was already putting him and his entire family through more than he'd ever bargained for. The others, who were listening from behind, were horrified. If the ring was put on at Bree, how did the dark riders find them all the way over here? It hardly mattered now, as the sound of the galloping horses was growing ever stronger, almost unnaturally fast.

"The Nazgul?... well what should we do?", asked Kovu. Kiara was staying close to his side now, fearing the worst for what was to come. Just as her brother was feeling. Rafiki looked at him from over Kopa's shoulder and sighed. "Dere's only one ting we can do, Kovu... We have to fight dem."

Nala cringed when he said this. She had never actually seen the dark riders before, but she already knew that she never wanted to. Simba then said, "Would that be possible?"

The baboon walked over closer to them all, specifically Simba. He replied, "It will be a difficult task... but it is possible, yes."

Simba sighed with some relief. If it was possible, at least they would have a chance now. Vitani walked in front of Simba and closer to Kopa. She said to him, "I'll fight them. I'm not afraid."

Kopa for the briefest moment smiled at her, and then he looked over at the end of the path in front of him. He could hear the sound of horses coming up closer to them at an alarmingly fast rate. He took a step back from the path and unsheathed his claws. He'd survived in the wild before like this, he could do it again. Soon after, all nine members of the fellowship came closer together near the center of Weathertop's summit, ready to strike at whatever came their way. The lions had their claws, Rafiki had his stick, and Timon and Pumbaa had brute force. For African creatures, these were the best weapons that they had, and were willing to use them to as far of an extent as they could. But as Rafiki said, forces other than the will of evil were at play here.

All nine of them stared anxiously at the path's entrance. The galloping sound of the dark riders' horses grew louder and louder until it could not grow any more. At this moment, the moon was blocked out by a single, thick cloud that didn't appear to be moving at all. The Great Kings of the past were going to have to be their light to life now.

For as much as they had all feared, they had made it. There in front of them stood the nine dark riders of Sauron, standing against the blackness of night. There were nine of them there, and each one carrying a sword that despite the lack of light, still brandished and gleamed in the darkness. Dried blood was still clearly all over the swords, coming from their earlier innocent kills of the hyenas.

The fellowship looked upon them with anxiety and a mix of unwavering expressions. Though Timon and Pumbaa both had more anxiety than bravery at the moment. Both sides of nine stared each other down through the night. No one was sure which side would make the first move.

Simba stayed close to Nala. Neither one of them showed any hint of fear as they looked upon the riders. For a brief moment, Simba gently placed his left paw on top of Nala's right. Now was their chance to do what they had so tragically failed to do so many years ago: fight for the life of their son before it was too late.

Then, the Nazgul commanded their horses to charge at the nine mortal beings in front of them. They made no vocal sounds as they did. Swords were raised up into the air as the fellowship also charged at their enemy. Very briefly, the two sides ran closer and closer to one another, as if it were the battle with the outlanders all over again. Simba ferociously and powerfully roared at the Nazgul as they came closer to one another.

And then the battle began.

Instantly, chaos and confusion fell upon Weathertop as the two sides scattered everywhere across the summit. The Nazgul unleashed their fury against the Pride Landers, while at the same time unleashing that blood chilling screech that they made. Simba lashed out against one in particular, bringing their horse to the ground. He slashed, hacked and bit at the rider, though there was very little to bite at. The dark rider raised its sward and swung it at Simba directly, but the king was able to dodge it not a second too soon. He jumped out at the rider, and forced it to the ground, ripping apart its robes and doing whatever he could to destroy it. but the Nazgul rider was undeterred, as if nothing was attacking him at all. He used all his might to push Simba off of his body, where he stumbled to the ground. He looked up at the rider and roared at him, also indomitably fearless against the enemy. And through the chaos of all the fighting, the two continued to battle it out until either one or the other was dead and on the ground.

* * *

Kiara, not far from where her father was, leaped through the air at a particular rider just as Simba did. However, this one was persistent and kept hold to his horse. The lioness clawed herself into the flesh of the horse, and attacked the rider with all her might. Defending himself, the rider took his sword and was just about to slay her. But just before he could, Kiara saw what he was attempting to do, and used her unsheathed claws to swipe the sword out of what was once his hand, and the sword fell to the ground. Kiara then took this opportunity to leap at the rider once more, this time forcing him off the horse and onto the ground She clawed and slashed at where his face was to be, and despite nothing being there, Kiara felt a flesh like substance as she clawed it. And within seconds, the Nazgul rider lay motionless on the ground. Knowing the others would need her help, she abandoned the lifeless robe and went for where she knew Kovu was.

When she found him, she gasped. Kovu had three seperate bloody sword slashed across his body, no doubt at the hands of the Nazgul swords. he was struggling to take down the rider's horse, but the horse's front legs kicked at him in the face, injuring him severely. Kiara grew determined to save her mate from death. She ran towards the one he was fighting and then bit down as hard as she could against the horse's leg, making it cry out in terror. The horse's leg broke free of Kiara's grip and proceeded to kick the lioness straight in the side of the neck. She screamed out in pain as she stumbled to the ground. Of course, this did not go unnoticed by her mate.

"Kiara!" he called out. The lioness was far from unconscious or mortally wounded, but the sheer force of the horse's kick to her neck was quite a blow to her. Rage began to build within Kovu, seeing her like this. He glared at the Nazgul rider and lurched forward at him, as if he was hunting for prey, which truly wasn't far off from the truth. He leaped up and reached forward for a clawed grip on the rider, which proved successful. He bit down on his neck, and roared as he slashed all over its body, while screaming,

"Back! Back you devils!"

Unfortunately, unlike with Kiara, the dark rider was almost entirely undeterred by the lion's attacks. He drew out his sword away from Kovu's view, and prepared for his strike. He swung the sword through the air, but before it could strike the lion, a mighty roar sounded off from just to the side of them. And the next thing Kovu knew, the rider he was just fighting was on the ground being slashed apart by Vitani's fearless might. She bit down against the Nazgul's faceless robes and ripped through where their flesh once was, as if the lioness were eating after a hunt. Before long, that Nazgul also lay motionless and was killed on the spot. Attempting to catch her breath through the battle, she looked over at Kovu, who had jumped off the horse earlier looked over at his sister with shock and awe. The two of them exchanged looks for a moment until they both got back to the fight.

* * *

Nala and Rafiki were both fighting side by side together against two Nazgul that were swinging their swords around in vein hope of striking them. Nala was swiping her claws against one, dodging their sword attacks and roaring at them both. Rafiki, though certainly not having a history of fighting, used his stick to strike at the riders, hoping to force them off the horsebacks. He could barely get close enough without almost getting impaled by the blades. Ready to go for the kill, Nala went for as close to a sneak attack as she could at the moment. She ran behind the Nazgul Rafiki was fighting, and when she was certain she was out of view, she leapt through the air and struck the Nazgul in the back, pushing it forward off of its horse. The two of them battled it out for a while before, after several vein attempts, the Nazgul swung his sword just close enough so that it left a long red streak across Nala's snout. She roared with pain as the blood began to drip. Seeing the opportunity, the Nazgul got back up to its feet and got ready to strike her again. Rafiki swung his stick at it as hard as he could, but the rider took notice of this, and swung the sword at him, slashing the stick in two. It also went close enough to leave a rather deep red slice across his chest, forcing him to fall to the ground, howling with pain. The rider turned back to Nala, who was just recovering from the last wound and was ready to strike again. Before she could, however, she saw someone lash out at the rider and force it to the ground. The figure moved so quickly she couldn't tell who it was until they got to the ground.

It was Kiara, unleashing her fury against the dark rider who had just tried to kill her mother. After some more attacking and bitter bloodshed, the Nazgul was now dead and on the ground, as the sword it wielded fell to the ground. Kiara looked over at Nala, where she noticed the deep blue mark on the side of her neck.

"Kiara? Are you-"

Nala didn;t even need to finish that sentence since Kiara knew what the rest was going to be.

"I'm fine, mom."

She looked over to Rafiki, and she gasped to see him struggling to stand up, clutching onto the slash mark on his chest. Kiara ran over to him, fearing the worst. Just as she did, the baboon collapsed to the ground, falling unconscious, causing Kiara to gasp.

"Rafiki!... What happened?"

The baboon couldn't respond, and was motionless. Kiara looked back to Nala, where she said to her daughter, "Kiara! You need to get him out of here!"

The lioness replied to her mother, "No! I need to stay here and help you! I won't abandon you!"

Nala then said to her, "Rafiki can't fight anymore! Take him somewhere away from here! Far away!"

Kiara looked up at Rafiki, who was no longer holding onto his chest. Blood was dripping out from the wound, and it was rather deep in, too. She wanted to say something else to Nala, but she decided against it. Kiara sighed, and then got Rafiki onto her back the same way Kovu once did with her during the fire in the Pride Lands. She anxiously looked back at her mother, and then took off towards the path down Weathertop, now determined to save Rafiki from death. She was unsure about leaving the battle to everyone else, but at this point, she was willing to do anything for the good of the fellowship, especially for the one who held her up on the day of her birth.

* * *

The battle with the Nazgul was becoming more fierce with every moment what went on. Each member was doing their absolute hardest to fend off the riders of Sauron. They all dauntlessly did everything that they could to slash and bite at them. In fact, even Timon and Pumbaa were braver than usual at fighting them off. However, there was one member of the fellowship that, despite his efforts, was having the hardest time of them all to stay alive. This one member was the most important of the group, not only at fighting them off, but at completing the journey as a whole

Kopa.

The ring bearer was the one most of the Nazgul were going after. Four different riders had him cornered against one of the crumbling stone pillars, all holding their swords against him. While he was doing well enough for himself at fending them off, the Nazgul were absolutely relentless at attempting to retrieve what was at the end of Kopa's necklace. Being careful not to let them get anywhere near it, he decided that he and his family had been fighting these horrid creatures for long long enough. Out of sheer bravery, Kopa forced his way through the legs of the Nazgul's horses and ran past them. Immediately after he did, The four riders began to chase after him through the chaos of what was left of the battle. Besides them, three other Nazgul remained to fight the others. So far, the Pride Landers and the Nazgul were both taking serious hits and injuries upon one another. Rafiki was mortally wounded by the blade of a rider, Kiara was kicked in the neck by a demonic horse, and by now each and every one of them were covered in bloody streaks from near misses of the swords. Even Timon and Pumbaa were bleeding in some places. But all of this would soon prove to be the least of the injuries.

* * *

The four Nazgul went after Kopa across the summit of Weathertop, not even for a moment willing to let him go. They chased him all around the place, with the lion struggling to regain his breath. He went along the edges of the crumbling pillars, running as fast as he could until the unthinkable happened. Due to the decaying nature of the summit of Weathertop, many stones around the pillars were extending out of the ground. And while running around the edge to distract them from his family long enough, he stumbled upon a piece of stone extending out of the ground. He slid across the hard stony surface against his chest, and he turned against his back. By now, the gauze that was around his right paw had come off from the attack, but now it was feeling almost totally numb, so Kopa could hardly feel it now.

Crawling away from them, he tried to back from them, but his efforts were fruitless. He looked upon the Nazgul's soulless appearances with fear, and they all made that chilling screech as they looked upon the ring around his neck. The sound was truly unbearable in every sense of the word.

Soon, a thought came across Kopa. A thought that seemed evil and from Sauron himself, but at the same time, one that seemed like the only way out of the situation. He didn't have very much time to mentally debate it, however, as the Nazgul were slowly approaching him. He didn't want to do it, but he had no other choice. His left paw raised up towards his neck, and grabbed hold of the ring. The Nazgul's screeches went wild as he did so. His left paw fiddled around with it for a moment, until the very next thing he knew, the ring was on him again.

Instantly, he was visible no more.

* * *

_Kopa opened his eyes to find himself back in the shadowy realm of the ring. The wind was bone chillingly cold as before, and the vast, desolate landscape extended in all directions. He knew that he was invisible, so he thought for a moment that this would be his chance to attack them while he was unseen. But while somewhat expecting to see the Eye of Sauron once more, this time he saw something different. The world around him was far more misty and foggy than before. What he saw was not an eye, but four glowing, white figures standing in front of him that looked as if they were dead for a thousand years. It then dawned on Kopa that what he was looking at was the Nazgul's true form. They appeared as menacing ghouls with thin white glowing hair. The robes they wore now took on the form of damaged metal armor, their faces looked like human skulls, though the rotting flesh was still on them. And their swords were glowing white, much like everything else on them. _

_Kopa looked upon them in fear. He thought he wouldn't be seen by them if he put the ring on, but now he realized that was not the case. Knowing he'd just put the ring on for no reason, he attempted to take it back off with his other paw, now prepared for how hard it would be. But sadly, he would never get to do so. For while he reached for the ring still attached to the thin chain, one of the Nazgul finally made their move. They approached the struggling lion and lifted their sword up into the air, forcing it towards Kopa. With unbearable pain going through him now, the sword was driven deep into his shoulder, even extending out the other side of it. Even with the strong sounds of the winds, his roar of pain was still heard throughout the place. Besides the sword, he could feel something seeping into his body, something that stung his very blood stream. But before he could react any further, the unexpected happened. _

_The Nazgul were moving away from Kopa, and struggling around something, as if they were being attacked. Kopa guessed that it was Simba and the others, but that proved not to be the case. Through the thick mist, he could see white flames emerging from the Nazgul, and they scurried about in what almost seemed like fear. Kopa, taking the opportunity he had, pulled at the ring with all his might, once again biting at it with his teeth. But to his surprise, the ring came off much after and easier, as if it wanted to come off of him._

* * *

The first thing Kopa saw once he got back to the real world was the sight of Vitani in front of him, looking like she'd just seen him die.

"Kopa! Are you alright?"

Her own question was answered as she saw the sword driven into his shoulder. She gasped in horror as she saw it. Kopa could hardly talk from the pain going through his body. Behind Vitani, he saw the most unexpected thing: He saw flames emerging from the Nazgul, and they were running everywhere. He was about to ask where the flames were coming from, but he couldn't. And his own question was answered also, when he saw who was causing the flames. It was a figure with a long, wooden torch within his teeth, lighting fire to the dark riders. Kopa had never seen him before. It was another lion, one that wasn't from the Pride Lands. He had fur the same color as the very fires he was setting, and jet black mane that was rather scruffy looking and not groomed at all. From here, Kopa couldn't tell what his eye color was, but there was something odd about this lion: He was wearing a dull red robe that covered much of his face. The robe was rather worn and dirty looking, and covered about half of his body as well. The torch he was carrying struck the Nazgul and flames emerged immediately.

Unfortunately, Kopa didn't get to see any more of him. Due to the pain and the feeling he was getting through his blood stream, he blacked out slowly, with the sight of Vitani being the last thing he saw before he did.

"Kopa? Kopa no!" she said. She watched as her mate passed out, and lost all ability to detect his senses. His head fell against the ground just as the last of the riders were chased away by the lion. Simba and the others were helping him do so, but now they were taking notice of the ring bearer's condition. Many of them called out his name and crowded around him in front of the stone pillar. The new robed lion was the last one to come near him. He dropped the torch to the ground, which caused it to burn out there. He came up to the unconscious lion and looked at him closely.

"Can you help him, Kivuli?"

Kivuli, which was he lion's name, examined him closely. He reached out for the sword thrusted within Kopa's shoulder and, using his right paw, slowly pulled the bloody blade out of him. Using his paw, he gripped the sword and held it in front of him. He talked softly and quickly.

"He's been stabbed by a Morgul blade."

After he said this, he tossed the sword over behind him, where it struck the ground with a loud metallic sound. Kivuli continued, "This is beyond my skill to heal. He needs elvish medicine."

Simba gave him a funny look at that statement. "Kivuli, what are you saying? Is... is Kopa going to die?"

He came close to breaking down in tears at the thought of his son dying. Kivuli responded, "Not if we can get him to Rivendell. The elves will know what to do with him."

Kovu softly gasped under his breath at what Kivuli said. "Rivendell?", Kovu started, walking towards the lion. "That's at least six days away from here! He'll never make it!"

Kivuli gave him a strange look as he replied, "So I suppose you _want_ to see him die then?"

Kovu gave up on what he was going to say next. Timon, who had now jumped off of Pumbaa's back then asked Kivuli, "Kivuli... is the kid going to make it?"

He looked at the meerkat for a moment, and then at Kopa. "If we start now, he just might. Someone's going to have to carry him."

There was a brief moment of silence before Nala took a few steps closer to Kivuli. She said to him, "I'll carry him. I'll take him to Rivendell."

The lion looked at her for a moment. It wasn't until now that Nala noticed that his eyes were not of any color; they were black as if they were hidden in a foreboding shadow. With that, Nala was able to slip Kopa up onto her back, and got him settled there.

"Come on... we don't have any time to waste" said Simba, looking out to the path that lead down Weathertop. Following his own advice, he was the first one to start out towards the path, with the others following. Each and every one of them except for Kivuli were deeply worried for the prince, who was now on the verge of death. Vitani in particular was fearing the worst. She stayed near Nala, who was just getting the hang of carrying her son on her back. With that, they all set out for Rivendell. They were going to see the elves.

Kivuli was now leading the group. "Follow me, I know the way to Rivendell from here" he said. They got to the path and started down it. While they did, Kivuli said to them all, "You drew far too much attention to yourselves back at Bree."

Vitani then started to talk to him. "It wasn't out fault what happened back there. Timon was the one who decided to get drunk!"

She said that last part while looking back and glaring at the meerkat. Timon gulped loudly, realizing that Vitani now probably held a grudge against him. And God knows he didn't need one from her of all people.

"Well, what do you want from me?", Timon asked them. Kivuli, not looking back, replied "A little more caution from you... that is no trinket your friend carries."

Most of them looked over at him when he said this. For certain, he knew about the ring. This was bad, since the more people who knew about it, the less likely they were to reach Mordor.

"H-he doesn't carry anything!" Vitani tried to tell him. But being the intelligent lion that he was, Kivul didn't buy it.

"Indeed. I can usually avoid being seen if I wish, but to disappear entirely... that is a rare gift.", he said to her.

She decided to end it after that. They continued do walk down Weathertop for a bit until Simba said to them all, "Hey, where did Kiara go?"

Nala replied to her mate, "I told her to take Rafiki away from here. He got hit with one of their swords across the chest."

When Nala said this, it seemed to catch the attention of Kivuli. "How deep was the wound?"

She was taken a bit off guard by that question, but she still answered. "Not that deep, but still enough to wound him."

Kivuli sighed softly. "He's probably not affected by the poison then. The Nazgul carry blades of lethal poison within them. Kopa is passing into the shadow world. If we don't get your friend to Rivendell, he will soon become a wraith like them. A ringwraith."

This caught most of them off guard. As if this wasn't bad enough already, having Kopa stabbed by the sword. With each moment that passed, the toxins were slowly making their way through Kopa's veins, nearly on the verge of becoming one of them.

Soon, they heard someone call out to them from lower down the path.

"Father! Kovu!"

It was Kiara. She and Rafiki were moving side by side towards them up the path. They were all relieved to see her, especially Simba and Nala. The lioness ran towards Kovu and stopped in front of him.

"I had to save Rafiki. He's going to be alright."

She said this as she softly nuzzled her mate. Then she looked up to her parents, noticing Kopa on Nala's back.

"What happened to-" she started. But she was interrupted by Kivuli.

"He's been stabbed by a Nazgul blade. We must get him to Rivendell."

Kiara looked both shocked and confused. "Stabbed? What are you talking about, who are you?"

Kivuli looked over at Kiara and said, "My name is Kivuli, and I saved your friends from death at the hands of the Nazgul. I am a rogue, out on my own for as long as I can remember."

Kiara looked at him for a moment. Before either one of them could say anything else, they heard Kopa start to moan with pain atop Nala's back. His moans were agonizing to listen to, almost as agonizing as it was for him.

"Is he going to die?"

"Not if we can get him to Rivendell. Your brother is very fortunate to be alive. If that blade had struck just a few inches closer to his heart, he would've been killed on the spot."

Kiara felt as though she should've been offended by that, but she oddly enough wasn't. Without saying a word, they continued down the path. Kopa, though unconscious, was still muttering loud moans of pain, and would occasionally gasp for air at random. Even with all the sword strikes the others had endured, the bloody read streaks were suddenly little to nothing compared to Kopa's wound.

Vitani whispered something under her breath. And although she didn't say it to Kivuli, he still heard it as clearly as any other spoken sentence.

"Kivuli... save my mate."


	14. Bearing the Ring Bearer

**Author's Note: If there's any spelling mistakes or errors made here, don't hold back to tell me so I can correct them. Also, with the new character Kivuli, I gave one of his lines a nod to the 1978 animated Lord of the Rings by Ralph Bakshi. See if you can find which one it is.**

* * *

**Chapter XIV: Bearing the Ring Bearer**

Kivuli led the others down the slope the now abandoned Weathertop. Blood stains and dented swords were all that remained at the summit now of what was once a great watchtower. The fellowship's path was illuminated by the vast number of stars all throughout the night sky, shimmering just as bright as they would in the Pride Lands. Nala was walking by Kivuli's left, carrying Kopa on her back. The wound was beginning to take its tole on the wounded lion now, as he was beginning to have soft outbursts about various things, namely the Eye of Sauron.

"No... that... that eye. You cannot see me! You... cannot see me!"

As he spoke softly, he struggled to catch his breath. He was panting wildly, almost as if he was being suffocated. The image of the eye was still imprinted upon his mind, and it was becoming clear that the experience with it was going to have long term effects upon the lion. It pained the others just having to listen to his agony like this. Even Kivuli was beginning to become unnerved by it. But being the strong lion he was, he didn't show it. Simba, having listened to his son's cries of pain for long enough, he asked Kivuli, "Kivuli, is there anything we can do to help Kopa?"

The lion didn't look back to Simba as he soon replied, "Do you know the Athelas plant?"

Simba looked at him blankly for a moment, and then Kivuli decided to elaborate. "Kingsfoil. It may help to slow the poison, but first we must reach the Trollshaw forest. It's not far from here."

But before anyone could say anything more, they heard the distant, slicing cry of the dark riders off in the distance. Except for Kivuli, all of them gasped. The sound was distant and soft, but the abruptness of it made a few of them jump with fear, namely Timon and Pumbaa.

"Ringwraiths!" Kivuli exclaimed softly. Knowing that the dark riders were far from finished with them, Kivuli turned to Nala.

"Nala, you must go to Rivendell on your own. We will stay here and fight them off." he said to her.

Nala tensed up a little bit when he said that, She said to him, "I don't know the way to Rivendell."

Kivuli sighed so softly, only he was able to hear it. Unknown to them, he had been around Middle Earth enough times to practically memorize where every kingdom was. Rivendell was hardly a far distance for him.

"Then I will lead the way." he said. After that, he turned to the others. "One of you will have to carry the ring for Kopa. We cannot risk the Nazgul catching him with it."

Immediately, Vitani took a few steps closer to him. "I'll carry it for him. He's my mate, I'll do this if I have to."

Kivuli nodded. "Very well then."

He walked over to Nala, and looked up to Kopa's body on her back. His breathing was slowing down significantly, a bad sign that they needed to move fast. With the screeches of the ringwraiths still fresh in the air, he raised his right paw up to Kopa and slid the necklace off of his neck with his claws, being careful not to scratch him in the process. He looked at the ring for a second before handing it to Vitani, holding it by the end of the chain.

"You must be careful with this ring, Vitani. I trust that you know how important it is that we get it to Mount Doom."

The lioness nodded, and then she proceeded to take the necklace out of Kivuli's paw, grabbing it by the ring's end. She grasped it before looking down upon it. The ring sat upon her paw while the chain hung off of it. For the briefest moment, she could hear the ring chanting its own elvish inscription, just as Simba did when he came so close to possession by it.

_Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,  
Ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul._

Ignoring it as best as she could, she proceeded to lift the necklace up to her head to place around her neck. However before she could do so, she was stopped by Kiara, who had come up to her by then.

"I'll carry it, Vitani." she said. Not expecting this, the two lionesses looked at each other momentarily before Vitani spoke up.

"No Kiara, Kopa's my mate. I'll do this for him."

"He's my brother, Vitani. Back at Pride Rock, I said I was willing to make up for all the years I lost with him. Now's my chance."

Vitani wanted to say something to that, but she decided against it. Kiara was right. At least she had the opportunity to be friends with him during childhood, but poor Kiara didn't even know he ever existed until his unexpected return. It was time for her to do her part for her brother.

Without saying another word, she passed the necklace to Kiara, who clutched it in her paw. She looked at Vitani with a rather warm expression, as if to say 'thank you' for it. Kiara then placed the ring over her head, where it settled around her neck. Kovu was watching this all go down. He didn't want to say it at the time, but he thought that Kiara looked beautiful with the necklace on. If only it didn't have to hold such a deadly thing on the end of it.

The lioness walked back over to Kovu and the two of them looked at each other for a moment. Kovu showed some concern for his mate not that she was ring bearer, but it comforted him to know that it was only temporary. Then they all turned back to Nala and Kivuli. "What should we do, Kivuli?" Simba asked him. Even at night, Simba could see his eyes below the faded red hood of his.

Kivuli replied, "Find another way to Rivendell, it lies near the Misty Mountains. Down south, there's a river. Follow it eastward and you'll get there."

"Well what about you?" asked Timon, still on top of Pumbaa's head. Kivuli replied without looking at him. "I know many ways around here, Timon."

He continued talking as he looked over to Nala. "We haven't got much time. If we run, we can make it there in five days or so."

As a response, Nala could say the only thing that was on her mind at the time. "Save my son, Kivuli."

The lion said nothing at all as he started to move down the path, now at a quicker pace. Nala started to follow, when Kovu called out from behind them.

"Hey wait, Kivuli!"

The lion stopped dead in his tracks as he looked back at Kovu. He said nothing as the lion continued. "How can we know we can trust you? How do we know you don't just want the ring for yourself?"

Ever since they had met him, Kovu was rather suspicious of Kivuli. For a lion to just come out of nowhere and save them for no clear reason was strange to him. But Kivuli expected this. He said one last thing before he left.

"If I wanted the ring, I could have it... now."

He said that last part with a bit of force. As he spoke, he unsheathed his claws, as if he were ready to attack something. Not waiting for any response, Kivuli and Nala ran off down the path to the home of the elves.

The rest of them stared blankly at the scene for a brief time before they heard the screech of the Nazgul once more. It sounded closer this time.

"We need to get out of here." said Simba. He started down the path as well, with the rest of them following close by. Their first goal was to head southward to try and find the river. They started this as soon as they got to the ground, finally leaving Weathertop. None of them could see Nala or Kivuli anymore, so they assumed that they'd gone in a different direction. The grass was softer and more dry now, and it actually felt rather comfortable to the touch. But there was no time for that. They knew the dark riders were near, so they needed to make haste. Following Simba, the six remaining members treaded across the grass southward, hoping to find that river. Rafiki, who was at the back of the group, still had much confidence about making it there, despite the pain he was still feeling from his wound. The baboon didn't think much of Kivuli, and apparantly he trusted him enough to go the way he said to. but a few of the others were having thoughts of his own.

Kovu didn't know what to think of the mysterious lion. Even though he had saved their lives from the Nazgul, he still couldn't help but feel that they were being led into a trap of some sort. He didn't know what, but if Kivuli knew his way around Middle Earth as well as he claimed, it could've been anything. Another thing Kovu was unsure of was Kiara being the ring bearer now. After seeing what the ring could do to Simba and Kopa, it made him want to throw up just thinking of what could happen to Kiara. With the Nazgul after them, she would be the one they would go after.

Kiara on the other hand, was too concerned about Kopa's fate to think about any of this. She didn't think much of the ring dangling off the chain from her neck, but the thought of it did cross her mind at one point. Like her brother, it wasn't as bad a burden as she expected it to be. She felt fine with carrying it for the most part.

As they ran through the grass, the screeches of the Nazgul were getting ever louder, and echoes became more ominous and unnerving. However, there was one thing that had never occurred to any of them that could maybe, just maybe, save them from the same gruesome fate as the hyenas- the sun was beginning to rise in the distance.

It was very faint at the moment, and it hardly made a difference for light, but the pink sky was beginning to illuminate the silhouettes of the Misty Mountains off in the distant east. They didn't know it at the time, but one of the Nazgul's few weaknesses was daylight itself.

* * *

Kivuli and Nala ran side by side through the grasslands, moving towards the rising sun in the comforted Nala somewhat to know that Kopa no longer had the ring, but the fear was shifted to Kiara's fate with the ring. She knew it was only temporary for her daughter, but it was still a rather significant concern to the lioness.

Kivuli on the other hand, kept his thoughts focused. He knew which way he was going, and he knew it well. He ran through the grass very quickly, not showing any sign of struggle whatsoever. Nala had to admit, she was impressed with the lion's performance so far. Kopa, still laying in Nala's back, was still having the whispering outbursts to himself, and gasping for air occasionally. Blood was still streaming out of the wound on his shoulder, and his entire body stung unbearably from the poison moving through his blood stream. It was going to be a miracle if he ended up surviving.

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**Sorry if this chapter was a little short, the next one will be much longer, I promise.**


	15. The Path of the River

**Chapter XV: The Path of the River**

In spite of every hint that fate had pointed to, the Dark Riders never came in contact with Simba and the others. They never found out why. Perhaps it was because of the rising sun, which was one of their few weaknesses. Perhaps it was the fact that they had ran so fast for so long. Or perhaps it was because they found someone, or something, else to chase. Whatever the reason, the Nazgul never found them. A turn of events that not a one of them would've ever wanted to change.

It was now the early morning sunrise. Finally able to outrun the Ringwraiths (Which was their name in english), Simba and the others continued across the vast, grassy field down towards the river Kivuli had told them about. Simba was leading the group, with Kiara and the others following close behind. Like Kovu, Simba was unsure of how he felt about Kiara being the one to bear the ring. The one time that he wasn't overprotective of her, she was suddenly carrying the most evil thing in existence. The thought of it corrupting her was enough to make the king feel uneasy about the entire journey as a whole.

They walked through the grass with some haste, anxious to get to Rivendell, the home of the elves. There were no trees anywhere in the vast field, and the only thing around them was the distant, distant forms of the Misty Mountains against the sunrise. But eventually enough, the fellowship soon came across the river that led in the direction of the home of the elves. The river flowed towards the east, so it was going to be rather easy to follow it that way.

"We made it", commented Simba. He looked down the river as far as he could to see what he could see. Not very much, as the river streached down further that he could see.

"Come on, we don't have any time to waste", said Kiara as she started off first. She was more eager to get there that any of the others for reasons that were quite understandable. Without another word, they set off towards the east. Simba still led the group, but Kiara was now following more to his left than from behind him. Simba looked over to his daughter with some concern apparent within his eyes.

"Kiara... are you sure you can carry that ring? You know how dangerous it is." he said to her softly. The lioness looked over at him and said, "I know, father. But if it's for my brother, I won't back down from it."

Simba sighed. His daughter was becoming quite a brave lioness from all this. Vitani, who had been following closer to the back of the group, walked up closer to her and said, "Hey Kiara?... thanks for carrying it for me."

The lioness looked back at her brother's mate and smiled. "No problem, Vitani. It's not that bad, really."

The group of lions continued to tread alongside the flowing river, and against the soft green grass. The field extended for as far along as they could see as they walked in the direction of the sunrise. The sky around that place looked nearly identical to the mornings that they normally saw in the Pride Lands.

Timon and Pumbaa were in front of Rafiki. Ever since they had left Weathertop, Timon had felt very guilty over Kopa's fate. If he hadn't gotten so drunk at Bree, they would never have been in this situation. The Ringwraiths would never have found them, and odds are they would probably be just waking up at the inn at Bree at that moment. He sighed to himself with sadness as he sat down up Pumbaa's head. His warthog friend took notice of this and asked him, "Hey Timon, you okay?"

Timon looked down upon him, hesitated for a second, and then answered. "I don't know, buddy. This whole mess is my fault."

Pumbaa said to him, "What do you mean? You didn't create the ring. Sauron did."

Timon sighed again, this time out of annoyance. The feeling also emitted into his voice. "I'm not talking about the ring, Pumbaa... I mean the mess I got Kopa in way back there."

He sadly looked to his left, looking at the flowing river and crossed his arms as he had his own thoughts. He was never one to usually cause so much trouble, fear or pain. The worst he had ever done beforehand was try to break Simba and Nala up back when he lived in the jungle. And even then, he and Pumbaa only had good intentions, and had never himself known the feeling of love at the time. Simba's own son was on the verge of death, Nala was gone, and everyone else had painful, blood ridden battle marks on them, himself included. And he knew that he was the cause of it all. The meerkat looked across him towards Vitani. He knew that she was especially mad at him, since it was her mate that was nearing death at the moment. He figured that if this was the situation, the least he could do was try to make ammends with her to avoid making this journey more difficult than it had to be.

"Hey, Vitani?" he called out to her. The lioness turned her head back to him as she walked.

"What is it, Timon?" she asked. When she spoke, she sounded annoyed that Timon was talking to her. And the reasons for this were justifiable, to say the least. The meerkat hesitated at first, but then he spoke.

"Listen, uh... I'm sorry about what happened back at Bree. It's just, you know, I wanted something to drink, they just happened to be serving it, and just... you know?"

Vitani looked unimpressed. Her look upon him had softened slightly, but not by much at all. Timon realized this was starting to backfire, so he became more sincere about it.

"Look... I'm real sorry about the whole mess. I shouldn't've had that stuff to start with, I didn't mean for any of that to happen. If it weren't for me, we wouldn't be in this mess. Could... could you ever forgive me?"

Vitani could see that Timon was being sincere about the situation, and her expression softened towards him, this time noticeably. She sighed and looked to the ground for a moment, looking back at him after she began to speak.

"Well... I guess you didn't mean what you did. If it didn't happen there, it would've happened somewhere else."

She was referring to her concern that the ring could fully corrupt him by the time they got to Mordor. Timon was relieved that Vitani understood his situation. The meerkat looked over to Simba next.

"And I guess I owe you something too, Simba. After all, he _is_ your son."

The king looked at his long time friend with generally the same look as Vitani. "As much as you put him and the rest of us through... I guess you didn't mean it. And as long as you acknowledge it, I won't hold it against you... it's alright, Timon."

"Same here, Timon. Besides, if you didn't get drunk back there, Kivuli never would've found us." Kiara commented.

"Yeah, I guess so." Timon said softly. Despite the forgiveness of the others, he still felt a little depressed inside. But it wasn't about what he accidentally put Kopa through, but another matter that was more personal for him.

"What's the matter? You sound upset about something." Kiara said to him, looking back for a moment. Timon looked up and replied, "It's nothing, Kiara."

By now they could all tell that something was wrong with the meerkat. Usually he was so energetic, playful and funny, but it seemed severely out of place for him to be so dreary and somber here.

"No, what is it? You're never like this." said Kovu. By now his interest in this conversation was picking up.

Timon hesitated. He knew he wasn't going to get out of this conversation, so he just said what was on his mind.

"Nothin, kid. It's just that... well... I miss Zuri and the rest of my colony back in the jungle." he finally answered. "It's just, she has no idea where I am, Uncle Max probably went crazy without me, my Ma's probably worried sick. The thing is, none of them even know that the ring is real yet. They all still think it's just a bedtime story."

He spoke rather somberly as he answered. Everyone understood where he was coming from. He and Zuri had always been so tight with one another beforehand, and now there they were, miles away from the jungle, with his entire colony not even knowing where he was.

"I'm so sorry, Timon." said Simba. Even though he had never admitted it to his meerkat friend, he could relate to his situation. When he was living in the jungle with him and Pumbaa, he thought of Nala just about every day, and being with her was the secondary reason why he returned to the Pride Lands in the first place back then. Only now, he was going through that same thing again, with Nala off to save Kopa.

"When we finish this journey, we'll get you back to her." the king added.

Timon smiled at that comment. "You mean it, buddy?"

Simba replied, "Absolutely."

Timon was comforted by what his friend had said. "Thanks, Simba" he finished.

The conversation ended after this. They continued to follow the river eastward, still within the large, spacious field of grass. With any luck, they would reach Rivendell a day or two after Nala and Kivuli. As before, many thought ran through their minds. Each of them had already done far more in a few days than any of the kings of the past had done in their entire lives. They had been farther away from their domain than any Pride Lander had ever been before. A few of them were wondering, how would history remember them? If they pulled through with the journey, would they fade into myth like the legend of Sauron, or would they be forever remembered as heroes of Middle Earth? It crossed their minds even though this was hardly the time for that type of thought.

Kopa was a significant concern for all of them, but because of it, another crucial detail had slipped their minds for the time being. And that detail was one that would one day prove to be of critical significance: Nadra and the cubs at the Shire.

* * *

The bright sunbeams were gently streaming through the glass windows of the farmhouse. The light was warm and comfortable, enough to easily wake one from sleep. And this is exactly what it did, too. Nadra began to shift around in her sleep atop the hey stack, slowly starting to wake up. Out of the four cubs, Amani was the first one to open his eyes. He was laying against Nadra's body like he was when he fell asleep before, and slowly he got himself up, stretching himself out while he did. His movement was felt by Nadra and the other cubs as well, which caused them all to stir in their sleep.

One by one, they all rose to their feet. Nadra leaped off the hey stack and onto the ground to stretch herself out, just seeing the sunrise then. She looked out the window, and saw the sun just peaking its way in front of the silhouetted hills of the Shire. The sky was of early dawn colors, light pink and soft blue mixed in with it in parts of the sky. The rolling clouds around and in front of the sun were thin and wispy, and they moved ever so slowly across the majestic sky. It wasn't as breathtaking as the sunrises of the Pride Lands, but it was still a beautiful sight nonetheless.

Minus the yawning coming from the cubs, there was general silence throughout the humble farm house. It lasted briefly, though, as Akarudi was the first one to break the silence.

"Good morning, Nadra." he said to the lioness. Nadra turned back to them all and replied,

"Good morning, cubs. Did you all sleep well?"

Each of them gave their answer at around the same time. They had all slept well. In fact, Sayari said he slept better than usual since it was atop a hey stack instead of the hard stone he was accustomed to Pride Rock. Nadra then made brief eye contact with Amani. She remembered very well what they'd talked about the previous night, and she'd taken it into consideration. If she was able to handle him, his brother and cousins, then perhaps she was ready to have cubs of her own.

"Are we still in the Shire?" Asked Kijani, interrupting Nadra's train of thought.

Sayari gave his cousin a somewhat dirty look. "Yeah we're still in the Shire, stupid. Remember yesterday, genius?"

Kijani said nothing and lightly shoved her cousin with her paw, pushing him away a couple of steps.

"Are we going to see the hobbits today?" Sayari asked Nadra. She looked at him, and then to the wooden door of the farm house, which was open just a crack, letting soft sunlight through it. She had almost herself forgotten about the hobbits. She knew that they were shy, but peace loving.

"Yes. We need to tell them that your grandfather sent us here, and hopefully they'll let us stay."

After the lioness answered him, a question crept its way into Sayari's mind. He then made that question known to his guardian.

"Hey Nadra?... what if they ask why he sent us here?"

The yellow eyed lioness thought for a moment. She hadn't considered anything like that before. After all, if the hobbits were going to let them stay for the time being, they were going to need a reason as to why they're there. Not to mention the less that they knew about the ring, the better.

"We'll tell them that... it's private royal business."

Without another word, Nadra walked up to the barely opened door, and nudged it open with her head, pushing against it. It didn't require much force for it to come slowly creaking open, letting even more early sunlight into the farm house. It took a while for the lions' eyes to adjust to the bright light, but it was only a short while. However, this was only from the sunlight. Besides it, there was another sight outside that that certainly hadn't been there the previous day. Nadra and the cubs all gasped when they saw it.

All around the opened wooden door, was a crowd of at least 20 or so hobbits, looking upon them with curiosity, mixed beside a hint of fear.

Nadra took a few steps forward, looking upon the many hobbits surrounding them. She could make out some soft chatter going on within them all once the door had opened. From what she could hear, the hobbits soft conversations were ranging from 'send them away at once', to 'why are they here?', and to 'we should let them stay'. She could've been wrong, however, as the chatter was all in whispers. But if there was one thing she did know for sure about them, it was that she had yet to hear anything about killing them. After all, hobbits were a very peace-loving and quiet race, and save for one, not a one of them in the Shire had ever been in any kind of peril or harm.

Deciding that she'd waited for long enough, Nadra cleared her throat and spoke to the hobbits.

"My name is Nadra, hunter for the Pride Lands, and I have been sent here on direct orders from king Simba himself."

She spoke firmly and loud enough so that all could here. For sure, they had gotten the message, as one of the particular hobbits, who up until now was in the back of the crowd, was cutting through the others, clearly eager to see her after that.

"King Simba, you say?" his voice called out. He seemed like an eager fellow, running through the crowd the only way that a hobbit could run. Eventually, the little hobbit emerged from the front of all the others, and saw the lioness in front of him. His face lit up with happiness when he saw her.

"Why... you're from the Pride Lands!" he exclaimed to no one in particular. It was here that Nadra was able to get a good look at the hobbit. He appeared to be of old age, perhaps around his early 70s. He was as short as any other hobbit, around three foot five. He then looked behind Nadra and saw the four cubs staying together in the middle of the farm house.

"And I see you have brought your cubs along as well." he commented. Nadra blushed at that comment and glanced at the cubs.

"Oh, they're not mine. I've been ordered by Simba to take them here, for safety."

When she mentioned the king's name, the hobbit smiled once more. "I see. Oh, I've heard so much about the adventures your king has had through the generations! I remember when-"

Nadra didn't want to come off as rude to the old hobbit, but she interrupted. "I'm sorry, but I don't think we've been introduced yet, uh... mr. hobbit."

Nadra felt like the biggest idiot in all of Middle Earth when she adressed him as 'mr. hobbit', but she didn't have much else at the time.

"Oh, my mistake, I do apologize. Now uh, tell me again, what is your name?" said the hobbit. Nadra cleared her throat once again and began the introduction.

"My name is Nadra, and I am a part of the hunting group for the Pride Lands."

She turned around and looked at the cubs. "This is Sayari, Amani, Akarudi, and Kijani. And they're all Simba's grandchildren."

The old hobbit seemed intrigued. "So the stories I've heard are true, then."

Nadra snickered to herself. "You have no idea. So uh, what's your name?"

The hobbit seemed to hesitate in answering her. He glanced back at the cubs for a moment, and then replied,

"...Baggins. My name is Bilbo Baggins."

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**Please review this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it! **

**Also, I've officially finished reading The Hobbit (incredible book, by the way), and I now understand Bilbo as a character a bit more. In the next chapter, expect some references to his journey to the Lonely Mountain and his experience with Smaug. (Don't worry, I won't have any spoilers anywhere in it).**


	16. Rivendell

**Chapter XVI: Rivendell**

Kopa's eyes opened slowly. He didn't know what to expect to see when he did. But what he did see deviated from all expectations. He saw that he was in a very bright, sunlit room, decorated with richly carved timbers. He could faintly hear the sound of a waterfall outside of the large window he was next to. Slowly, he tried to move around. It wasn't until here that Kopa realized that he was laying down upon a soft, white bed with a single, thick blanket covering most of his body. He moved his head around to try and see the rest of his surroundings. Kopa guessed that he was in Rivendell now, but where were the others?

"Where am I?" he asked himself softly. The lion hardly had time to think any further until a voice from his left spoke to him.

"You're in Rivendell, Kopa... you made it."

Kopa recognized the voice immediately. He turned to his right side, and then saw Simba standing right near his bed. He sounded hugely relieved that his son was alive.

"Dad... what happened?" he asked his father. Simba sighed to himself softly as he replied,

"You were stabbed by one of the Nazgul swords back at Weathertop. But just as you were, a lion named Kivuli came in and drove them away. You were fading pretty quick back there. You needed elvish medicine to recover."

After that, Kopa looked over to his side. He saw what was left of the wound, a glaring dark red mark that ran down his shoulder. Just the sight of it was enough to unsettle him. He placed his right paw over the wound, feeling how deep it went. Suddenly, he gasped softly once he realized that the chain necklace was no longer around his neck.

"Where's the ring?"

Simba debated in his mind if he should tell him. He had just woken up after such a traumatizing near death experience, and didn't need to hear such news right away. But then again, Simba had already kept enough secrets through his life, he didn't need to keep another, let alone from his own son.

He replied, "Your sister carried it for you."

"Kiara has it?! Is she alright?" Kopa asked with concern clear in his voice. When he did, Simba looked a little sad for a moment, as if something had happened.

"Dad... is Kiara okay?" he asked again. Simba opened his mouth to say something, but then another voice called out to the both of them at that moment.

"I'm here, Kopa!"

Immediately, the two of them looked over to where the voice was coming from. They recognized it instantly. It was Kiara.

"Kopa! You're okay!" she shouted with joy. She ran over to greet her brother, and stopped by his left side. The two of them nuzzled very subtly.

"You took a pretty bad hit back there." she said to him. Kopa glanced down at his wound briefly, and placed his paw over it.

"You don't have to tell me twice."

Right then, Kopa noticed that Kiara was wearing the necklace holding the ring. He reached for it, and clutched it loosely in his paw, close to Kiara's neck. He looked at it deeply.

"It's so weird.", Kopa said to no one in particular.

"What? What is it?" his sister asked curiously. Kopa looked over to her and replied, "It's weird that we should suffer so much fear and doubt... over so small of a thing."

She didn't know just how to respond to that. Kopa released the ring from his grasp, and let it sway slowly against the necklace. Before the two siblings could converse any further, another voice called out for Kopa from the right side of that room. Before the lion even had a chance to look behind Kiara to see who it was, he was being held tight within the grasp of his mate. Vitani had halfway climbed up onto the bed with Kopa, and the two embraced each other passionately. Vitani had tears in her eyes, ever dreading the though of losing Kopa again. She was sobbing with joy at the feel of his soft mane against her head, something she had almost forgotten the feel of.

"I thought you were dead." she whispered to him. The two of them looked deep into one another's eyes, as if they hadn't seen each other in a thousand years.

"Are you okay?" she asked him. Kopa replied,

"Yeah, I think so. Let me try to get onto the ground."

He tried to move his body so he could get out of the bed, but when he tried to, a surge of pain shot through his body.

"Careful. It's gonna take another day or two for the poison to wear off, Kopa." said Simba.

It took a bit, but eventually Vitani stopped clutching Kopa so tight, and the prince turned to his father.

"Dad, how long has it been?" Kopa asked him.

Simba said, "It's been just over a week. They said another hour and you wouldn't've made it."

Kopa gave him a bit of a funny look after that. "Who? Who said that?"

After a brief moment of silence, Simba said to him, "The elves, son."

It was then that they noticed someone else walk through the open doorway on the right side of the room once more. But this time it was no lion, warthog, meerkat, or baboon. It was an elf. His name was none other than Elrond, the very founder of Rivendell. He was once a strong, noble warrior, and was as wise as a wizard. But he was also kind and hospitable towards the lions (Most likely because they carried the One Ring with them). When he spoke, his voice was calm, but deep and strong sounding.

"Welcome to Rivendell, prince Kopa" he said to him.

* * *

The home of the elves was far more than what any of them had expected. Their hospitality knew little bounds, as the elves tended to all of their wounds, healed their sword slices, fed them the finest meat dishes they knew, and allowed them to drink from what were the finest riversides for miles around. As much as the fellowship would've liked to stay longer, they couldn't let this be a distraction in their quest.

* * *

The five lions were walking across a long, narrow stone bridge that extended over the valley with a waterfall inhabiting it. Vitani had decided to stay close to her mate through his time of struggle, and Timon and Pumbaa were off somewhere in the largest building in Rivendell, the house of Elrond. Simba had told Rafiki to keep an eye on them both so that they wouldn't hurt themselves or worse. This left Simba, Nala, Kiara, Kovu, and Kivuli to themselves with Elrond, who was currently showing them around the place. He led them across the bridge to the other side of a cliff, which had another elven building on it.

"You have found your way to the last homely house east of the sea." he started. "The elves of imladris have dwelt within this valley for three thousand years, though few of my kin remain."

While they were certainly listening to Elrond, all of them were too amazed at their surroundings to truly take in his words. The massive valley reflected the sunlight just perfectly so that every hour was like early dusk. The soft flowing rivers, waterfalls and trees of the valley were breathtaking. The air was warm, and the scent of pine trees was ripe within the air. Throughout the valley, there were beech and oak trees scattered across the sides of the slopes, and there was an above all feeling of comfort in the twilight. Its stunning beauty and peacefulness was enough to even perhaps surpass that of the Pride Lands. Even Kivuli, who up until now wore his dark red hood to hide his face in shadow, took the hood down so he could see the view around the home of the elves. It wasn't until now that the fellowship could see his true face, black mane, yellow-orange fur, and deep black eyes.

"I have heard many tales of battle and grief from the Pride Lands. May I ask, are they true?" Elrond asked, turning back to them for a second. Nala was the one who decided to answer.

"Yes, they are. Every one of them" she said. "And I witnessed most of them firsthand."

Elrond chuckled very softly, thinking about what it must be like to live the life of a lion. And then he turned to Simba, now with a more serious mindset. "I must say, king Simba, you have my pity for what your uncle Scar did to your father. It was a senseless act of murder thad should have never befallen upon you at such a young age."

Simba sighed softly at the thought of his father. "Thank you, Elrond. He never deserved what happened to him."

Talk of this was bringing back some horridly painful memories for the king. Elrond could tell this with ease, and decided to change the subject to the ring.

"Simba... you said that you found the ring when you were young. Exactly, how did you find it?"

The king thought for a moment, and then answered, "It was just past the edge of the Pride Lands, on the edge of a river, actually. I remember that I wanted to put it on, but my paws were too small back then."

That last part he said with a bit of a chuckle, and then got back to his train of thought.

Kovu decided to say something on the matter. "How long until Kopa's wound goes away?" he asked, clearly concerned for his brother-in-law.

Elrond looked back at him for a second. "If you're referring to the sword strike from Weathertop... that wound will never fully heal. He will carry it for the rest of his life, ring or no ring."

Kovu took the answer in, and gently placed his paw over his left eye, with his own scar well on the way to healing. It was here that Kovu realized how luck he was to have a scar that would not last forever. He only wished the same could be said for Kopa.

"I just wish Kopa didn't have to bear the ring." Simba continued with Elrond.

The elf said, "To have come so far still bearing the ring... your son shows extraordinary resilience to its evil."

When he said this, they had reached to the other end of what was Elrond's house, also perched along a cliffside near a waterfall.

Nala was the one who continued for Simba. "It's been torturing him ever since we started. We just can't ask any more of him."

Kivuli, who was directly between Simba and Nala, spoke up to the elf. "I'm concerned of what we can do once we reach Mordor. It will be difficult to sneak past the eye."

Elrond slowly stopped walking, and looked back to them all. His tone of voice became more serious than ever. "The enemy is moving. Sauron's forces are massing in the east. His eye is now fixed on Rivendell. And Saruman has recently betrayed us. Our list of allies grows thin."

A few of them gasped at this. They had almost completely forgotten about Saruman or Isengard.

"Elrond... is Saruman connected with the ring?" asked Kiara, as she clutched the ring in her paw. Elrond sighed an almost inaudible sigh and answered the lioness. "His treachery runs deeper than you know, princess Kiara. By foul craft, Saruman has crossed orc with goblin men. He is breeding an army in the caverns of Isengard. An army that can move in sunlight and cover great distance at speed."

He walked past Simba, Nala and Kivuli up to Kiara, who by now had let the ring go of her grasp, where it subtly swayed in the soft breeze. "Saruman is coming for the ring." he finished.

After this, the lions all walked away from the bridge entrance and sat around where Elrond was standing. The majestic views of the valley had escaped their minds once the elf continued to speak.

"This power cannot be concealed by the power of the elves... we do not have the strength to fight both Mordor and Isengard... the ring cannot stay here."

He turned his back to the lions and looked around Rivendell for a short while before continuing. "This peril belongs to all of Middle Earth. They must decide how to end it. Not just for themselves, but for those who came after... the time of the elves is over. My people are leaving these shores. Who will you look to when we have gone? The dwarves? They hide in their mountains seeking riches. They care noting for the troubles of others."

Elrond's speech to them all was certainly leaving an impact. Not only was the time of the elves almost over, but now they had Isengard to worry about. It was here that Kovu decided to speak to him.

"Well... could we get the help of the men?" the lion asked him. Elrond looked back at him abruptly, and with an expression that was of a mix of annoyance and dismay.

"Men? Men are weak. The race of men is failing. The blood of Numenor is all but spent, its pride and dignity forgotten... it is because of men that the ring survives."

Elrond wasn't completely sure about telling them about the next part. After all, they were only lions, and couldn't comprehend the same things that elves could. But he persisted, turning back facing them all once more.

"I was there... I was there three thousand years ago when Isildor took the ring."

* * *

_Isildor, clasped within his dented battle armor, held the glowing ring within the palm of his hand, staring down at its image and quickly fading inscription. He was well within the confines of the desolate wasteland that was Mordor. Sauron had been slain at his hand, and the ring was his now. Isildor hardly had time to think further when Elrond, dressed in elvish battle armor, ran up to him._

_"Isildor hurry!... follow me!" he said to him. The two of them looked up to the smoking, flaming image of Mount Doom. Lava spilled down its sides, and smoke and ash poured constantly from its summit. The two of them knew they would need to climb it to reach the heart._

"I led Isildor into the heart of Mount Doom, where the ring was forged; the one place it could be destroyed."

_Isildor stood upon the edge of the stone promontory that was the birthplace of the One Ring. Rapid steam and smoke flowed up like an air current, winds as strong as that of a fierce windstorm, and searing heat that only the bravest of warriors would ever be able to endure. Elrond stood a distance behind Isildor, farther back on the promontory, which was resting upon strong stone columns that extended down into the lava. Isildor held the ring out over the edge of the heart of the mountain, fully ready to end its life there in Middle Earth._

_"Cast it into the fire!... hurry!" Elrond called out to him. Isildor wanted to drop the ring in, but for some reason, he couldn't. It was as if some kind of dark force within him was pulling the ring closer to him, away from the heat of the mountain. He held the ring close to his body. For neither he nor Elrond knew at the time that the closer one gets to Mount Doom, the stronger the grip on the bearer. And since Isildor was standing in the very spot it was created, it could not have ever had a stronger hold on him. He looked down to it with madness, and a small hint of anger as well. He turned his back to the edge and faced Elrond._

_"No..." he said._

_He began to walk away, heading for the exit of the mountain. The ring had now consumed him fully._

_"Isildor wait!... ISILDOR!"_

* * *

"It should've ended that day, but evil was allowed to endure. Isildor kept the ring... and the line of kings is broken. There's no strength left in the world of men. They're scattered, divided, leaderless."

The lions all looked nothing short of dumbfounded upon Elrond, most notably Kovu. Dumbfounded was no description at all, in fact. When he had asked if they could rely on men, this was not in the least what he was expecting. He had regretted ever asking about the subject from then until the end of his days. The others were feeling generally the same. They had all heard the myth, or history of the ring as it should now be called, but never in such a way as that before.

"So... what can we do then?" asked Kiara, after a moment of deadly silence. Elrond glanced at her, or more specifically, the ring around her neck.

"You must do what you set out to do... destroy the ring, cast it into the fires from once it came. Only then can it be unmade..."

* * *

The following morning, the lions had finished looking around Rivendell and the house of Elrond, and were now making preparations to leave before nightfall. By then, the sun was rising out in the east, only amplifying the delicate dusk-like hue that covered most of the valley. Within the room where Kopa was resting, he had fallen fast asleep on the bed like he had before. Not long after the others had left him and Vitani alone, Vitani had climbed up by his side, and the two of them were soundly sleeping closely next to one another. The white blanket and sheets were disheveled, ruffled and halfway hanging off the bedside, as opposed to how smooth they were beforehand.

The bright morning sunlight streaming upon them woke Vitani first. She slowly opened her eyes and lifted her head up off of Kopa's mane. She looked around a bit before her eyes landed upon Kopa. She smiled at him, and then softly licked his cheek, causing him to stir a little bit. Before long, his eyes opened as well, with her being the very first thing he saw. He returned the warm smile that she'd given him.

"Good morning. You sleep well?" Vitani asked him. When she did, the tone of her voice was rather low and sensual, the way that only mates would ever talk to one another.

"Yeah... I think the elvish medicine worked, Vitani. I can get up now." he answered. He moved his body around a little bit, this time not feeling any pain. Going further, he pushed the blanked off of his body and leaped down to the ground on all fours. At last, he could walk again. When he looked back behind him, Vitani had also done the same. The two of them walked side by side as they headed for the open doorway to try and find Elrond or Simba.

Vitani turned to Kopa. "I had a great time last night, Kopa" she said to him, again with the low, almost seductive voice of hers. Kopa replied calmly, "So did I, Vitani. It was fantastic"

The two mates walked out of the door, and Kopa had decided that he wanted to see around the place. Neither one of them had left the room since their arrival, so there was much opportunity for exploring Rivendell. For the most part, they saw all of the same things that the others had seen. Everything from the long, thin stone bridges to the gorgeous landscape of the valley, they saw just about everything the others had.

Save for one thing.

Inside one of the largest rooms in the house of Elrond, there was a fair sized staircase that looked as if it led to something; a wooden table-like figure with light blue cloth hanging off of it. The room was dimly lit only by the sunlight that passed through the small elvish windows on the far side of the room. What they didn't know was that this was Elrond's personal chamber. It intrigued the two lions as to what was at the top of the stairs, as there was no door or second floor at the top.

"What is this place?" Kopa asked himself. He turned to his mate.

"What do you think's up there?" he asked her. Vitani lightly shook her head.

"Beats me" she said. Seeing no other way to find out, the two of them started up the marble steps, with Kopa following close behind Vitani. While they did, they noticed from the steps that there was a fresco painting on the wall nearby, depicting Sauron's defeat at the hands of Isildor so long ago. Little did they know that that painting would have a lot to do with what they were about to see.

They climbed up them for a short time until they reached the top and could see what was on the table cloth. When they did, however, it startled them, and they gasped in awe. Upon the light blue cloth was the shards of what looked like a sword that had been split in half. The two halves of the sword were closeby one another, with many smaller shards surrounding it. The sword glimmered in the dim light, as if it were forged not even a day before.

"What is this?" Vitani asked Kopa, not at all expecting any kind of answer. And an answer she id not receive, for Kopa had came up to the sword to get a closer look at it. He studied the shards and fragments that were carefully placed around the place where the two ends of the sword were cut. He lifted his right paw up to it, hoping to hold the sword within his grasp. Being a lion, however, it was very difficult to grip the handle properly. But once he got the hang of it, he lifted the sliced sword in front of him. Vitani had come closer to him now to get a better look at it.

"Wow... why do you think it's like this?" Kopa said to himself. Suddenly, a deep voice echoed from behind them, something that nearly made them jump out of their skin.

"The shards of the Narsil... the blade that cut the ring from Sauron's hand."

It was Elrond. His statement had been so abrupt in the otherwise total silence, it made Kopa gasp and drop the sword out of his paw, where it hit the ground hard, making a long lasting, sharp, metallic echo sound throughout the chamber. They both looked behind them to see Elrond standing at the base of the staircase, looking up at them.

"I see you've discovered my chamber, that of which is not to be disturbed." he said with just a hint of annoyance in his voice. Kopa looked behind him and looked down to where he'd dropped the sword. Not wanting to have to grip it in his paw again, this time he enclosed the handle of the blade within his teeth and lifted it back to its original spot on the cloth out of respect for it. While he did, Vitani spoke to the wise elf.

"Sorry, we were just uh, looking around." she said to him. She started back down the staircase with Kopa following close behind once again.

"The shattered remains of the Narsil are an heirloom that has been passed down for generations since the death it brought to Sauron." Elrond told them. The two lions looked up at the elf.

"We're sorry we came in here. We were just looking around, and we found this place. That sword is truly valuable." said Kopa. Elrond looked at him. As he spoke he was still calm and very down to earth.

"I do not wish to find you in this room again, is that understood?" he said to them both. Kopa and Vitani nodded 'yes', and without another word, they treaded out of the room and went off to find Simba and the others. On their way, Kopa was thinking- he was probably the luckiest lion in the world. He had just held in his very paws the sword that had defeated Sauron so many centuries ago. His curiosity was rather peaked as to why the sword was in pieces, however. He could only imagine the many ways it could've gotten like that, most likely having something to do with Sauron breaking it somehow. Vitani was thinking about the sword as well. She knew now that it was a sacred heirloom to Elrond, but she got to thinking; could the sword ever be used again? Be reforged and put to use into battle once more?

These thoughts would have to be put aside for the moment, however. For the fellowship was just about to leave Rivendell and start the next part of their long journey ahead.

* * *

**Author's Note: Maybe I should explain the part with Kopa and Vitani in the bed together. I took a look back through the story to see if I could make any revisions to any of the chapters, and I realized that I had put Kopa through a lot more crap than I thought I did. From seeing the eye to getting stabbed by the sword at Weathertop, I figured that it's time I gave him a break. Seeing as this was the first (And possibly only, we'll see) time that he and Vitani would be alone together, I figured that Kopa deserved it. They both did. They've already been through so much, they need a good hot break somewhere, right?**

**Anyway, please feel free to review this chapter, and let me know of any inaccuracies I might have made with Rivendell or the location of the Narsil.**


	17. Another Unexpected Party

**Chapter XVII: Another Unexpected Party**

"So there I was... at the mercy of three monstrous trolls. Have you ever heard of a troll?" Bilbo said to the cubs as he sat back in his easy chair at his home in the Shire.

A week had passed since Nadra and the cubs had appeared there on king Simba's behalf. Since then, they had been the only thing that could ever come up in the hobbits' minds. They were talked about all over the Shire, and after the shock had worn off, they were more or less accepted into their homeland until they were called back to the Pride Lands. Nadra and the cubs had very much gotten used to the look and feel of the home of the hobbits, and they also very much liked it. But while the lions were at the front of all the hobbits' minds, one particular hobbit was more interested in them than any other: Bilbo Baggins.

Up until two days before, they had been residing at the farm house they had first found, but now Bilbo had invited them to stay in his home, a special hobbit home called Bag End. His home was closer to the outskirts of the Shire, and was more or less away from the center of it all. The inside of his home was very respectable. It was a small complex of wooden tunnels filled with many rooms for many uses. Certainly not complex enough for a smart one to get lost, but still complex nonetheless. The wooden finish was neatly varnished and had the color of very, very light brown. A small chandelier hung in front of the circular green door of the home.

In the room that Bilbo and his visitors were in, there was a fireplace softly burning logs, and a large, wooden table that had atop of it many things, but the most noticeable thing was a framed map of The Lonely Mountain, where Bilbo and the dwarves had traveled to so long ago. In short, his home of Bag End was very decorous and respectable for that of a hobbit, and Nadra and the cubs had adjusted to it very fast. Bilbo had fed them all sorts of meat, as they didn't much like other things like bread or eggs. Most of their drinks had come from the Brandywine River close by, where they always enjoyed the sight of a peaceful water mill just upstream from where they would usually drink from.

A week in, and they could most definitely see why Simba had chosen the Shire for them to stay at.

Bilbo had managed to keep the cubs entertained by telling them stories about his adventire to the Lonely Mountain 15 years before. And while Nadra was well past the age for such tales, she couldn't help but become invested in them just as the cubs were. Right now Bilbo was telling them about an experience with the trolls early on in his adventure. The cubs all stuck together and laid against the floor on their stomachs. Nadra did the same, just to their left as they all looked up to him, listening to his tales with peaking interest.

"They were great big nasty twenty foot high smelly things. And they were arguing... arguing about how they were going to cook us!"

He spoke with just a bit of melodrama specifically for the cubs, whose eyes were growing wider with each word the hobbit said. His tone was a bit juvenile for Nadra, but she didn't mind it. It brought her back to the days when she would hear stories like this from her own mother when she was young herself.

Bilbo continued. "Whether it be turned on a spit or minced into a pie or whether they were going to sit on us one by one and sqash us into jelly! But they spent so long arguing the whether- to's and why-for's, that the sun's first light crept over the top of the three trees... and turned them all into stone!"

The cubs all softly gasped in amazement. Up until now, most of the things they had heard of Bilbo's journey were rather vague and undescriptive. That had just changed.

Sayari asked him, "Hey Bilbo, how'd you beat that mean old Smaug?"

Bilbo looked up for a moment, remembering his experience. "Oh, I wasn't the one to defeat him, Sayari. He was slain by a warrior named Bard, who lived in a town that Smaug had destroyed."

He looked down to the cub. "I heard that the spot where his body lays was named the Desolation of Smaug."

Akarudi snickered. "My mom thinks you beat him"

"I should wish." Bilbo said jokingly.

Bilbo chuckled as he said the rest. "But even then the dragon wasn't the biggest problem. The biggest problem was figuring out how we would get the treasure out of the mountain! And even then, the goblins, wargs and men all came and wanted to claim it as their own. It was quite a mess we were in, I must say!"

"Hey Bilbo, did you ever see the Pride Lands on the adventure?" asked Amani. Bilbo smiled at him.

In fact I did, Amani. It was just before we got to the forest with the trolls, even. The dwarves and I crossed through the Pride Lands, and we met up with someone. Two lion cubs who you might just know, even."

"Who? Who was it?" asked Kijani. The hobbit chuckled softly. She was just the one Bilbo wanted to hear that asked from.

"They said that their names were Kopa and Vitani."

Kijani and Akarudi both gasped in amazement. "That's my mom and dad's names!" exclaimed Akarudi.

"You met them when they were little?" Kijani asked in amazement. Bilbo continued to smile. He was enjoying every minute of this, that much was clear to Nadra.

"Indeed I did, you two. Your parents were very friendly to us, and they wanted to know everything they could about our journey, their questions just never let up! And they seemed to rather admire each other as well, I must say. It was wonderful to see such young love like that, let me tell you."

It was Kopa and Vitani all right.

Bilbo himself was curious about something. He asked, "I beg your pardon, but I was curious- has your father become king just yet?"

Akarudi hesitated for a moment before he replied. "Well, no. He can't become king until grandpa Simba dies. Zazu says it's 'tradition' or something."

Bilbo felt just a hint of regret in asking. "Oh, I'm dreadfully sorry about that, Akarudi."

The cub replied, "Ah, don't worry about it."

Bilbo looked around him for a moment, and then said to them, Nadra included, "I beg your pardon, but... have you ever heard of the treasure I came back with from my adventure?"

Nadra was the first one to answer. "Actually, no I haven't."

Bilbo looked over to her. "I would imagine that you lions wouldn't have a need for such things."

"No, we don't have any use for that sort of thing, really. Just causes unneeded problems, if you ask me."

Bilbo snickered at what she said. "Nadra, you don't know the least of it."

"Mr. Bilbo?" Akarudi said, breaking the brief second of silence there was following his last sentence.

"Yes, Akarudi?"

Akarudi continued, "I once heard that you once got stuck in Gollum's cave in the dark. I was wondering... how did you get out?"

Bilbo looked upon his with a warm look that said he was remembering nostalgic times.

"Ah, Gollum's cave. Now that was an adventure worth telling within itself. Well you see, young cubs, I was lost in the darkness, not having a clue as to where I was, and I was feeling around the ground to find where I could walk. But then... I found something. Something that would be of best importance to me later on."

Their curiosity at this point was peaked. In fact, even Nadra was curious at this point as to what he was talking about.

"What? What was it, Bilbo?" asked Sayari. The hobbit grinned. He simply loved having the young ones kept in suspense like this.

"Well you see, Sayari... on the cold, rocky ground, I found a little golden ring. A ring that later on I found could turn me invisible! Isn't that something?"

Their blood turned to ice at that moment. They all gasped loudly with horror, and their eyes widened with fear, even Nadra. She felt as though she had just ingested a gallon of cyanide. She stood up on all fours slowly, and looked at the hobbit.

"W-what did you do with it?" she asked in a bit of a shaky voice.

Bilbo replied, "Well you see Nadra, I used it to evade Gollum and find my way out of the mountain unseen. The dwarves were so impressed at my escape! Not a one of them knew how I'd done it."

While he talked, Nadra's mouth hung open in absolute disbelief. No, it couldn't have. Was he truly referring to the One Ring of Power? As much as she knew that it was, she didn't want to believe it. She had to know for sure.

"What happened to the ring? Did you keep it?" she asked him.

Bilbo said, "Well now, it was the strangest thing, actually. After my journey was finished, Gandalf and I were coming back here on our ponies, tired and exhausted of course. I held the ring in my hand, and I must've dozed off around... I think it was near the Pride Lands, actually. And when I awoke, it was gone. As hard as I looked, I could not find it. It was the strangest thing, really."

It was The One Ring all right.

By now, all four of the cubs were desperately trying not to blurt out that they knew everything about the ring he was referring to (Everything they needed to know, at least). Kijani on the other hand, couldn't keep it within her for a second longer.

"That ring's the one my gr-!"

She never got to finish that sentence. Amani, who was laying next to her, hastily put his paw over her mouth so she couldn't say anymore. She tried to swat him away, but it did no good. She tried to push her brother's paw off of her, but she struggled to do so.

"Stop that Akarudi!" she tried to say. Bilbo noticed the cub's quarrel and asked them, "Is something the matter?"

They all looked up to the hobbit quickly. One by one, they got up off their stomachs and stood up on all fours. Akarudi reluctantly took his paw off of Kijani's mouth. At first she wanted to tell Bilbo what she knew, but based on the glared that her brother and cousins were giving her, she decided it was a bad idea. She sighed

"N-nothing, Bilbo."

For a moment, Nadra and the cubs shared much of the same thoughts as one another. Bilbo was very much oblivious to the ring's true power, nor did he seem to know its history. What did that mean then? If Bilbo knew everything there was to know about it, what would he do? Would he have been able to accompany Kopa and the others on their quest to Mordor? He was well into his seventies, a bit of an old age for hobbits, but if his performance at The Lonely Mountain was any indication, he still had a lot left in him.

"We're uh, we're gonna go outside now." said Sayari. Bilbo nodded.

"Just be back for supper. I've got a rather large dish for you all to enjoy when you come back."

_Hobbits sure eat a lot_ thought Nadra as she followed the cubs towards the green door. Hobbits rarely ever locked their doors, so she was able to nudge it open with her head with no problem. They went past his grassy yard and beyond the white painted fence of Bag End to the gravel path that went down the hill Bag End was near the top of. Looks of worry were very apparent upon them all.

"I can't believe Bilbo had the ring before Simba did!" said Kijani. Nadra looked down to her as they walked down the path.

"You know, It actually sort of makes sense. Simba said he found the ring when he was a cub. Well, no cub I've ever seen can get to the Misty Mountains and back so quick."

"Hey, if Bilbo used the ring before, maybe he could help Kopa get to Mordor!" said Amani. Nadra shook her head.

"They're probably too far away by now, Amani. If they haven't run into too much trouble, they should be in Rohan by now... or at least past the Misty Mountains"

Little did she know that this couldn't've been farther from the truth.

"I guess... it doesn't mean anything." said Akarudi. "I mean, Bilbo had the ring once, so what?"

Nadra looked over to him. "You're right. It doesn't mean anything. We don't need to get so upset over something he had 15 years ago."

They had now reached the bottom of the hill where Bag End was, and they started out into the paths of the Shire. They gained some attention of those nearby as they walked.

"I miss them" said Sayari to them all. "I want to go home."

Nadra asked him, "Don't you like it here?"

Sayari replied, "Yeah, but I just want to see my mom and dad again."

"Me too" added Akarudi.

Nadra stopped and moved her head down to the two of them. She nuzzled the two cubs softly, "Don't worry about it, boys. They'll get back, I promise. In fact, I bet it'll be any day now when Zazu tells us we can come back."

She smiled and looked at all four of them now. "I promise... they're fine. They _will_ be fine."

If only she had known of what they'd been through so far. Or better yet, what they were going to encounter over the rest of their journey...


	18. Spies of Saruman

**Chapter XVIII: Spies of Saruman**

About an hour following Kopa and Vitani's discovery of the Narsil, the fellowship left Rivendell and set out for the Misty Mountains. At first the journey was delayed however, since Timon and Pumbaa had both gotten the bright idea of trying to catch a ride down one of Rivendell's waterfalls before they left... not that that ended well for them. They had gotten to the bottom unscathed, but then they had to climb all the way back up the cliff sides of the waterfall on their own to get back to the others. The ironic thing was that they had once stopped Simba from doing the very same thing when he was young.

Also before they left, Elrond had given given their new leader something. He gave Kivuli a yellow tinted map of Middle Earth to keep direction, and to know where they were throughout the quest. Rafiki had a new, stronger walking stick to carry, but he didn't receive it from Elrond; he had found it on his own through the thick trees of Rivendell. Elrond had wished them luck on their quest, and hoped that they would make it out alive. And with that, they had set off.

* * *

This was eight hours ago. Right now, the fellowship was treading across a large, stony plateau of he Misty Mountains. Kopa once again had the ring necklace around his neck, but Kivuli was still leading. Climbing the base of the mountains wasn't too difficult, but they still had the rest of them to get through. It was the middle of dusk now, and the sun was beginning to set out in the west. They had all decided to stay there for the night, as they were all laking the energy needed to move forward (especially Timon and Pumbaa). Rafiki had managed to start a fire in the center of the rocky plateau, and him and most of the lions were all sitting around it. Kivuli was away from the fire, however, studying his new map. Kovu noticed him from behind and grew curious about their route.

"How's it looking, Kivuli?" the lion asked him. Kivuli replied to them all,

"We must hold to this course west of the Misty Mountains for forty days. If our luck holds, the gap of Rohan will still be open to us. From there, our road turns east... to Mordor."

Kovu raised his eyebrow at the mention of 'forty days'. "Forty days? Are you sure about that?"

Kivuli silently sighed under his breath in annoyance. "I've been around these parts before, Kovu, and I never said that this would be easy."

Kovu softly grunted at the thought of going through the mountain for so long and turned back to the fire, embracing its warmth. It crackled and had thin smoke rise directly up, not a single gust of wind to take it anywhere else. Kopa was one of the closest ones to the fire, and was sitting next to Vitani. Thinking about what they'd all been through so far, he looked straight ahead to Kivuli and called out, "Hey Kivuli?"

The black maned lion looked up to him from his map. It wasn't until now that Kopa noticed his hood was down for once.

"Listen, uh... thanks for saving me back there. I owe you one."

Kivuli hardly seemed to consider what he'd said. "You have nothing to thank me for, Kopa. We still have a long way to go yet."

After he said this, Vitani rested her head against Kopa's mane, staring into the fire just as her mate was. While Kopa's eyes slowly drifted around the fire and across the other fellowship members, until his sight came to rest on his sister. She was laying on her side on the ground next to Kovu, looking into the fire just as he was.

Still staring into the flames, Kiara said, "Kovu...?"

The jet black maned lion looked down to her. Kiara didn't wait for him to say anything before she continued. "How long do you think it'll take before we see Sayari or Amani again?"

Kovu sighed. "Kivuli said that it'll be 40 days before we even get past the mountains."

When he said this, Kiara got up and sat on the ground next to her mate. She leaned her head against his mane. "I miss them, Kovu."

"I do too, Kiara. And if we're careful enough, we _will_ see them again."

She looked up at him with a very warm and affectionate smile, and Kovu returned the look. The two of them nuzled passionately, not really caring that Simba and Nala were watching them at that moment. Only when they nuzzled, their lips met together in just the same way as they once did the day Kovu had started teaching her to hunt. Only this time, it was intentional.

When they stopped, Kovu looked over to Simba, expecting him to be giving them a dirty look of some sort. But instead, he and Nala both looked happy for them. Then h glanced over at Kopa, who was still looking into the fire. Kovu's line of sight moved down to his neck, where the ring was hanging off of. He stared at it for a moment, and thought many things, thinking about how evil it truly was.

Kopa then looked over to his father. He wanted to ask something that was very much bugging him ever since they left Rivendell.

"Hey dad?" he said. Simba turned to him. "Yes Kopa?"

"I was wondering... what happened to Kiara while I was out?"

The utterance of this sentence made almost all of the fellowship members perk up and look at him, minus Kivuli, who looked like he was still plotting their next move on the map. The blank stares he got disturbed him greatly, but thankfully they didn't last long.

"Dad, you looked like something happened when I asked you back at Rivendell. What happened?" Kopa elaborated. Simba looked over to his daughter with sadness, and she returned the look. The king turned back to his son.

"Kopa... something did happen. It was right after Nala and Kivuli ran to take you to Rivendell."

* * *

_In the vast, grassy field alongside the river, the seven remaining members of the fellowship slept soundly under the breathtaking sight of the great kings of the past. Most of them stuck close by one another in case any danger emerged. In particular, Kiara was softly breathing alongside Kovu. But unlike most of the others, Kiara was beginning to stir in her sleep. Her paws gently swatted against the air, as if trying to reach for something. Her breathing became heavier and faster, until finally her eyes shot open. Kiara slowly got up on all fours and looked around for a moment until her line of sight rested upon Simba. She looked upon her father in the dark with sadness._

_"It was only a dream, Kiara... it was just a dream." she whispered to herself. Whatever dream she had, she was very clearly shaken up by it. Because of this, she glanced over to the river and quietly walked over to it, wanting to get a drink before she went back to sleep. She crept through the grass carefully as to not wake anyone else up. Soon, she got to the edge of the river and lowered her head to drink from it. Many thoughts ran through her mind, specifically about her dream. It seemed so real and true, as if she were really there. But nonetheless, it was still a dream. So she finisher her drink and looked back over to where everyone else was sleeping. She started to walk back, but then she stopped._

_Kiara looked down deeply at the ring on her necklace. She lifted her paw up and lifted it closer to her face, staring at it. She did so for a short while before she did something she swore to herself she would never do._

_She positioned the ring against her paw, and slipped it on._

* * *

"You put the ring on?" Kopa said, very distressed now. Kiara sadly nodded. "It was whispering to me, Kopa... it said something. I don't know what, but it made me want to put it on more than anything else. It was... getting through to me."

Not wanting to wait for an answer, her brother asked, "So what happened? What'd you see?"

Kiara reluctantly answered. "I didn't see the eye like you did, but... I saw something worse."

"Worse?!" Kopa exclaimed with fright. Kiara nodded. "I saw myself in... these huge mines, or tunnels, I couldn't tell. Everyone else was there too. And I saw daddy... being pulled over the side of a cliff by something. He said something to us, but I didn't hear it, and he... fell off the side."

Kopa's eyes got wide at this description. "Wait, so he was... _dead_?"

"The thing is... that vision was exactly the same as the dream I just had before that."

Kopa's wide eyes didn't notice until now that all the others were looking at either him or Kiara, with quite a bit of concern in their looks at that. He sighed in disbelief.

"So... what does that mean?" Kopa asked her, though not expecting an answer. Rafiki, who had mostly kept quiet up until now, spoke up to him.

"We don't know, Kopa. All we can do is do our hardest to be sure it does not come true."

That last part he said while looking at Simba. He returned the look. While all of this was going on, Kivuli was looking behind him at them. He wasn't one to usually show his emotional side, but he did feel genuinely sorry for Kiara. he was away from the fire so it couldn't be seen, but he had a sad look on his face, one of sympathy for them all. The tough side in him made him go back to the map, still charting any possibly nearby route, but his emotional side was still very much there in the matter.

But they couldn't continue that conversation any longer, for unknown to them at that moment, someone was approaching them that would one day alter the course of their journey. Whether it was to be for better or for worse was yet to be seen.

* * *

Timon and Pumbaa were both sleeping away from the fire, very clearly exhausted from the day's journey. They were near where Kivuli was, in fact. The sun had yet to go completely down yet, but that was of little concern to them. Pumbaa was laying on his back, while Timon slept on top of his stomach, like he usually did. Both of them were snoring, but that did little to stop them from hearing what the others heard as well.

"Hello? Oh God, hello? Is anyone there?"

It was a clear female voice that echoed through the mountainsides. They all heard it.

"Who was that?" Nala said suddenly. After she did, the voice continued, and it was getting louder. Whoever it was, they were coming closer.

"Hello? Where are you? Anyone?"

They could all tell that whoever this was, they were very clearly worried about something- or someone. The echoes of her voice were just enough to begin to wake up Timon and Pumbaa. Timon's eyes hardly opened at all, and his vision was still blurry because of it.

"Ugh, not now Ma, just a few more minutes." he said, still very drowsy. He wasn't a breath away from going back into deep sleep if the voice hadn't called out one last time.

"Is there anyone here?... Timon?"

_Timon_. That was when it hit him like lightning. Besides the fellowship, only the members of his colony knew his name. His eyes shot open, and he lifted himself up on his feet.

"Oy, what's going on?" he said. He turned to the fellowship, specifically Simba.

"It sounds like someone's calling for you, Timon." he said. The meerkat then leaped off of Pumbaa's stomach, prompting him to wake up as well. Timon went past them and the fire and looked out to where the sun was setting. He searched around with his eyes, and then called out,

"Hello? Who's there?"

That was all he needed to say. The voice gasped with appearant happiness, and then it exclaimed, "Timon! Timon, where are you?"

Now he was really confused by this. "Who are you?" he called out once more. The answer he got would not be in words, but through what he saw next. He saw some kind of blur jump out in front of him, and the next thing he knew, he was on the ground, as whoever it was had pinned him. At first, he thought it was an attacker, and he screamed.

"Ahhhh! Hey! What's the big idea here, you-!" he started. But then he stopped once he saw her face. It was never known if it was a coincidence or not, but at the second he saw who she was, a breeze started up through the mountains, ruffling his fur around a bit. It wasn't a cold or brisk like it normally would be, but it was gentle, warm and almost welcoming in a way. It began the second Timon saw who was there.

Zuri, his mate.

"Zuri?...?" was all that Timon managed to say. This had to be a dream. It had to be. There was no way that she could've come so far for anything, even him. But that didn't matter a bit as the two meerkats stood up and looked at one another against the fading sunset, as the stars began to make themselves known against the sky.

"Is it... really you?" He said further. The meerkat replied,

"Timon... I'm so glad you're safe!" she said as she threw herself into Timon's arms. They embraced one another warmly, not at all taking notice that most of the members of the fellowship were coming to them. Even Kivuli had stopped looking at his map to see who this was.

Zuri's fur color was clearly lighter than that of Timon's. The stripes on her back were darker, however, a very deep shade of grey, almost black. Her eyes were of the deepest tone of blue, deeper than Nala's. Her voice was crisp and clear, beautiful no matter what creature it was within. And overall, her figure and appearance was strikingly gorgeous for a meerkat. A quality that was seen by none better than Timon, her mate.

As Zuri and Timon clutched one another with happiness, Timon stopped and asked her, "Wait a second... what're you doing here, anyway?... and how'd you get all the way out here?"

Zuri sighed. She looked away from Timon for a brief second, and then back to him. She said, "Timon... the colony back at the jungle... they think you're dead."

Timon's eyes widened at her answer.

"What?"

"They've all given up hope, Timon. They all think you got killed. None of them know how or why, but they've all given up hope. Even... even Ma and Uncle Max."

The two meerkats looked at one another for a moment. Simba was going to say something on the matter, but ultimately decided against it. And the others decided this as well.

"Well... what're you doing out here, Zuri?" Timon asked her. Zuri replied,

"Well... I couldn't walk a single step without someone around telling me how sorry they are, or how much it must hurt to lose you. So about a week ago, I left the jungle to look for you. Your Ma and Uncle Max told me that you were with Simba and the others, so I started with Pride Rock."

She glanced over at Simba for a moment before continuing. "I almost gave up myself, but when I got to Rivendell, they told me you were there, so that's why I came here."

Timon gasped slightly. "Rivendell? We were just there today!"

"I must've just missed you, then."

The two came closer together again before they threw each other into their arms once more. Their forms were silhouetted against the sun rather elegantly once they did.

"Oh Timon, I'm so happy you're safe!"

"Me too, Zuri." Timon replied. Briefly, he glanced at the others. All of them were looking upon them with happiness, clearly happy for the two of them. Kivuli on the other hand, just looked indifferent. His hood was back up, so it was hard to tell.

"So, I assume that she'll be joining this fellowship now?" he said with some annoyance. Zuri looked past Timon and to Kivuli. She looked confused.

"Timon, you never told us... why exactly _are_ you out here, anyway?" Zuri asked her mate. Timon sighed, though under it could be heard just a subtle hint of a snicker.

"Zuri, have I got some stories to tell you." he said.

* * *

"My God, I never would've guessed it was real..." Zuri said in shock as she looked up at the ring attached to the necklace. The meerkat was in a state of complete disbelief, only now seeing that the stories she was told as a child were all more true than she could've ever guessed.

"Yeah, we've been through some pretty heavy stuff there, Zuri." Timon said to her. Zuri looked over at Simba, the one who had the ring to begin with.

Then something came across Zuri. "Wait, so you got drunk at Bree and _that_ made the ring fall onto Kopa?" she asked, sounding a little bit annoyed. Timon glanced back at Kopa, and then to Zuri again. "I know, I screwed up. But they were on the house, and I hadn't had anything to..."

He saw Zuri's annoyed expression and just decided to stop there. "Actually never mind." he finished. He then got serious about his explanation once more.

"Anyway, we're not even there yet. We still need to cross the mountains into... uh.. Kivuli, what'd you say before?" Timon said, looking over at Kivuli at that last part. The lion replied, "From here, we must hold east past the Misty Mountains. There we'll cross Rohan into Gondor, and then we'll reach the gates of Mordor."

Zuri looked at him, and then to Timon. She said, "Timon... if you're in this, I'm in this."

The meerkat's eyes widened big time. Was she truly implying what he thought she was? "Wait... no, Zuri, you can't be saying what I think you are..."

"I'm joining you in the journey." She said.

"Yep, it's official: Hakuna Matata hates me." he muttered to himself. Becoming serious again, he said to his mate,

"Zuri... it's gonna be a long way there. You sure you can do it?"

She chuckled and replied, "I've been able to survive you, haven't I?"

Timon hesitated. "Yeah, good point."

However, this conversation could not be continued any further. For in the sky, in the direction of the sunset, a dark wispy figure began to appear in the sky. They all took notice of it ahead of them.

"What's that?" a few of them said. Kivuli walked up closer to the edge of the plateau and looked out ahead as far as he could. "Nothing, it's just a wisp of a cloud... wait a second."

Just when he though it was only a cloud, Kivuli's black pupils widened at the sight. For this was no cloud. It appeared to be a regiment of large crows flying low and at a great speed. Kivuli turned back to them all and shouted, "Crebain! From Dunland! Hide yourselves!"

They didn't quite know what that was, but not a one of them argued against it. Growing increasingly terrified of the crows coming at them, they all ran for cover. Unfortunately since they were on a plateau, there were very few places they could hide. The best that most of them could do was duck down against the declining slopes of the plateau and hope for the best. They all ran for cover as they drew nearer. Kopa and Vitani had managed to find a large rock they could duck behind, but not that they expected it to do much good. Kiara and Kovu frantically ducked against the edge of the slope, and they slid closer to the bottom, a hundred feet down. They had to struggle to keep their position up near the edge.

Most of the others took cover in similar ways to this. Timon, Pumbaa and Zuri on the other hand had a bit of an advantage- the two meerkats were smaller than the others, so Timon and Zuri managed to take cover behind a large rock similar to how Kopa and Vitani did. But Pumbaa, being the size that he was, didn't exactly help their case in this. If one looked at him, they would instantly see the meerkats. And Timon was painfully aware of this.

"I swear to God, Pumbaa, if we get through this..." he muttered from behind the rock. Although he was uncomfortable being in such a small place, he didn't mind it all that much since he was so close to Zuri.

All of them had not a second to spare. The moment the last of them got into place, the Crebian, as this flock was called, began to clutter the sky as if they really were a cloud. They made ominous sounds that no other crows in Middle Earth would've made. As they scattered and encircled the plateau, every member was tearing at their desire to look up, just to see what was going on. Very few of them did, and those who had the courage to look up saw thousands, ten fold at least shooting everywhere at an admirable speed. It was almost as if... they were looking for something.

Soon, one of the crows in particular made an especially loud sound, one that echoed through the Misty Mountains. The rest of the crows almost seemed to respond to it by scattering farther than ever- towards the southwest. It took several terror-filled minutes, with each of them silently praying they wouldn't be attacked, when the flock of crows began to move away from their spot in the sky. They all flew away, and it didn't take long for the fellowship to notice this.

Kivuli was the first one to muster the courage to go back up the slope of the plateau. He struggled at first, but eventually he managed to climb his way to the top of it again. He turned to the southwest and watched as the Crebian fly away at, once again an admirable speed. They were blurring out of sight when Simba called to him from behind, who was now climbing back over the edge.

"What was that?!"

Kivuli looked back to him. Now some of the others were coming back up to the plateau like they were before. Most of them looked rather shaken and worried about the situation, even Rafiki. Soon Kivuli replied,

"Spies of Saruman... the passage south is being watched."

Now the rest of the fellowship was back together, just barely catching sight of the Crebian flying out in the far distance.

"Now what do we do?" Asked Kopa. Kivuli was still staring in the direction of the southwest before turning to the direction of the sunset. The sun had since given way to the night, and the stars had dominance of the sky once more. After a moment of hesitation, Kivuli replied, "We must take the pass of Caradhras!"

* * *

The crows of the Crebian flew past the forest filled hills that surrounded their destination. It was a vast, circular base shaped place that stuck out against what was otherwise entirely woodland. The sky was a depressing shade of grey, and not a hint of stars or moonlight could break through. Smoke was rising from the place, and the closer they got, the more that could be seen of the place. Trenches filled with fires, industry, and orcs crafting weapons and swords scattered the area. The darkness of the night illuminated this significantly. Trees all around were being ripped up from their roots, and the trenches were the closest thing besides Mordor to the pits of hell. And in the center of it all was an enormously tall black tower, with spikes protruding out of it, and four even larger spiked figures atop of it. There was no mistaking it anymore.

This was Isengard.

There was a dark wooden balcony type of thing that was near the top of the tower. This enormous structure was called the Tower of Orthanc, and was taller than Pride Rock ten fold. The Crebian flew and scattered around, surrounding the top of the tower and chanting something that only one could understand. The one who could find their language understandable was a tall man wearing a white cloak, had pure, white, long hair, and carried with him a wizard's staff. His voice was deep and intimidating, and this could be well heard once he spoke, listening to the Crebian's message.

"So, Kopa... Kivuli... you try to lead them over Caradhras. And if that fails... where then will you go? If the mountain defeats you, will you risk a more dangerous road?"

There was no mistaking it anymore. This was Saruman the White.

Saruman walked back into his ante chamber near the top of the Tower of Orthanc, and approached a stone pedestal with what looked like a glass ball on it. The room he was in was dark with very little light, except for the fires being created from such industry outside. The glass ball he was standing by was called the Palantir, and his hand cupped it from above. Soon, within its confines, the fiery eye of Sauron appeared, still making that horrible, horrible noise that Kopa had heard before. Once the eye was clear in sight, it illuminated the chamber with an eerie orange glow that only the eye would ever be able to make.

Saruman said, "The power of Isengard is at your command, Sauron, Lord of Earth."

Though he was just an eye, Sauron was able to speak to Saruman. He said in his distorted, otherworldly voice, "Build me an army worthy of Mordor."

With that, the eye slowly disappeared, darkening the room once more. Saruman looked down at the Palantir for a moment, before a voice from behind said to him, "We have work to do, don't we?"

It was a dark, hateful female voice from the other side of the chamber. Saruman turned around and looked at her. The female figure was hidden within the shadows of the night, but Saruman knew who she was. For this was his closest ally, the one who would assist him the most in retrieving the ring.

"We must accelerate our plans if we are to ever reach them." she said. Although her figure was almost completely hidden, one could tell that whoever it was, it was not a human or an elf. She appeared to stand on four legs, but it wasn't for certain to an untrained eye. Saruman said to her, "Patience. You will be able to spill their blood in due time."

The voice grunted at him. "Just be sure that I get the final strike."

Saruman then said to her, "You will get what you are owed soon enough... _Zira_."

* * *

**Author's Note: Now _there's_ a cliffhanger for you. Please review for more chapters!**


	19. The Pass of Caradhras

**Chapter XIX: The Pass of Caradhras**

Blood chillingly cold.

That was the only way any of the fellowship members could describe the Pass of Caradhras, a way through the Misty Mountains. For two days now, they had all treaded through the frigid snow that covered not only the ground they walked on, but the mountains at their sides as well. The sky was clear enough, and the sun was at its highest point, but the unbearable cold climate here was wearing away at their strength, little by little. Kivuli was leading the group once more. But unlike the others, he was more or less undeterred by the frigid region. Having seen this part of the Misty Mountains before, he was generally used to this climate. But while he had a hood to cover most of his head and mane, the others had nothing of the sort.

They all pressed on through the snow, determined not to let the climate get the best of them. Most of them stayed close together, for that was the only way they could preserve what little warmth they had. Timon, Pumbaa and Zuri were having it especially bad.

"Hey, Kivuli! H-how much f-farther?" Timon called out to him. Without looking back, Kivuli replied, "Still a long way yet. Don't count on warm weather for some time, Timon."

The meerkat, with a mixture of fear and disappointment, softly swore under his breath. Zuri was by his side, and even she didn't hear it. Timon looked over to her.

"H-having second t-thoughts, Zur-Zuri?" he managed to say, still trembling under the freezing air. His mate replied, "N-not yet... T-Timon.

Kiara and Kovu stayed especially close by one another. Coming from the plains of Africa, these types of conditions were something that neither one of them hoped they would ever come across.

Later on, the path they were walking upon began to steadily incline, as they were scaling in between two side-by-side mountains. It wasn't until now that the wind began to pick up. It was a freezing, almost painful wind that hit them all as if it were a thousand knives stabbing them all over their bodies.

Finally Kovu, who was especially disgusted with the conditions, could take it no longer. He paced up to Kivuli and said to him, "Kivuli, are you _sure_ there's no other way through here?"

When he did, there was a very clear sign of annoyance, and even subtle anger in his voice. The lion still looked ahead as he answered, "If there was another way, we would take it, Kovu."

The wind began to pick up, now flailing shards of snow around through the air. And the clods above in the sky began to cover the lands; grey clouds that signified the beginning of a blizzard. This would prove to be a foreboding sign of what was about to go down.

Suddenly and (seemingly) inexplicably infuriated, Kovu lifted up his paw, and as fast as he could, slashed his claws against Kivuli's face, spreading blood flying across the snow. This move took each and every one of them by surprise, none more than Kiara. They all gasped at what Kovu was doing, forgetting about the howling winds of the new blizzard taking place.

"Kovu! What the-"

Kovu cut her off. "I've had it with him, Kiara! He's leading us into a trap, I know it!" he shouted, looking at Kivuli, who was wiping the blood off of his face. He gave Kovu a very mean look after that.

"You assume much to think that, Kovu!" he said.

Simba spoke up from behind. "Kovu, what's gotten into you?!"

Without looking back, Kovu said, "He's leading us to death, Simba! He wants the ring! I can just feel it!"

By now, their voices were echoing through the mountainsides even through the howling winds. "I told you already, Kovu! If I wanted the ring, I could have it!"

"And what's that supposed to mean?!" Kovu shot back. Kiara tried to pull him away from Kivuli, but her efforts were futile.

"I assume you'd like to find out, wouldn't you!" Kivuli shouted. Kovu tensed up, like he was ready to attack.

"I don't trust you! Ever since Weathertop, we don't know a thing about you! We don't know where you came from, why you saved us, or why you're really leading us!" Kovu barked at him. Kivuli shouted back at him,

"I saved you because I want the ring destroyed just as much as you do!"

Kovu hesitated as he looked over to Kopa, who was looking upon them both with fear and concern. Then he looked back to Kivuli.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's a great bedtime story there! I'll bet when we get to Mordor, you'll hand the ring over to Sauron personally! In fact, do you even _know_ where you're going?"

Kivuli scoffed. "I already explained it! We're on our way to Rohan and into Gondor, and _there_ we can reach Mordor!"

The argument was reaching its high point of intensity now, as both lions were up in each other's faces now, ready to attack at any second. Many of the others tried to tell them through the blizzard to stop, but it did no good.

"You're just all talk and no action, aren't you?" Kovu sharply said to him.

Kivuli shouted through the piercing wind, "Oh, I'll show you action alright! Too bad it'll cost you a lot of blood to do so!"

Finally, Kovu blurted out, "Yeah! Well maybe they you can kill everyone else too and take my _precious_ for yourself!"

_My precious._

This was the moment that the argument abruptly ended. All was now silent within the group upon hearing what Kovu had just said. The lion grew a look of shock at the realization of what he'd just said. None of the others could believe what had just gone down. Kovu took a few steps back from the fellowship and looked upon them with horror. Most of them were sharing the look. Kovu's look slowly changed to deep horrific sadness, as if he'd just watched someone die. He whispered to himself the two words he would forever regret uttering. "my... precious."

The lion then looked down to the ring hanging from Kopa's necklace. Even through the wind and snow flying everywhere, he could see it clear as day. In fact, it was even whispering to him. It was an ominous, low pitched whisper that was just begging for corruption over him.

_Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,  
Ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul._

"Kovu...?" Vitani called out, hoping to say something, anything to her brother. But it did no good. Continuing to take steps back, he could no longer bear to look at any of them anymore. If he had attacked Kivuli, there was no telling who he would harm next. If that 'who' ended up being Kiara, he wouldn't wish for further life any longer. He would do anything to prevent that. And he did what he did to: He quickly vanished into the thick of the blizzard, essentially exiling himself.

"KOVU!" Kiara shouted out. Not waiting to hear anything from Simba or the others, she ran after her mate through the stabbing winds, and disappeared into the storm.

"No!" Simba shouted as he was just about to go after his daughter. But Nala stopped him.

"Simba no! We need to wait until this storm blows over!" she shouted, holding Simba back with all her might. But Simba persisted.

"Nala! I don't know what just happened, but I need to find out!" he said to her. Kivuli, who was watching this whole affair, gently placed his paw over the claw marks, which were deep enough to seriously worry about. Because of the frigid weather, the marks were of a deep shade of purple, and the blood streaming out of them was nearing that same color.

"Rafiki! What happened? What happened to Kovu?" Kopa said to Rafiki, walking back towards him. The baboon clutched tighter to his stick and sadly replied, "Kopa... I-"

Unexpectedly, Kopa grew an angry look on his face. He looked down to the necklace and lifted it over his head, now holding it in his paw.

"It's the ring, isn't it?... It's corrupting him!" He said to himself. He looked ahead of them all and growled in sheer anger. "Why? Why does this damn ring have to be so evil?! It should've never come to me! Why did I have to be the one to bear this Godforsaken thing?!"

In his rage, he threw the ring across the air, and it landed in one of the snowdrifts ahead of them. It struck the ground, and immediately it began to become buried by the blizzard snow.

"Kopa!" Vitani shouted as she ran ahead of him to find the ring. Being the deep shade of gold it was, it wasn't very difficult for Vitani to locate it in the snow. She dug around for it for a moment until he held the chain in her paw. It was bone chillingly cold now, and she looked over to Kopa. She saw that the ring bearer had collapsed onto the ground, and he was subtly beginning to sob. He was in the freezing snow, and now completely ignoring the climate around him. Vitani came up to him, looking very worried for her mate. She moved her head down close to his, and she nuzzled him there in the snow. Kopa began to speak again.

"It's my fault, Vitani. Because of me... Kovu's become corrupted, Kiara's gone, and now we have to go through this blizzard just because of something not even as big as a stone! And what's next? We have to go through the closest thing in Middle Earth to hell where we'll all probably burn to death before we even _get_ to Mount Doom! And if this ring's as-"

Kopa was stopped there. Wanting to comfort her mate, Vitani closely nuzzled him again, only this time their lips came together warmly. This was a bit unexpected for Kopa, but it seemed to strengthen him enough to get up on all fours again. The lion and the lioness continued their passionate kiss for a moment before Vitani spoke to him, though it was almost closer to a whisper.

"Kopa... I know you're scared. I am too. I'm worried for Kovu too. He's my brother, and Kiara's your sister. But destroying this ring is the only way we can ever see them again after this."

She clutched the chain in her paw and held it out to Kopa. The chain swayed through the air and the fierce winds that refused to die down. Vitani continued,

"We can do this, Kopa... you're strong enough, I know you are. And when we get to Mount Doom... I'll be with you."

Kopa looked at her with a bit of sadness, but then it changed to determination. He grabbed the ring from Vitani and placed the necklace over his head as his mane flowed through the wind. It was comfortably around his neck now, hanging off as it was before.

"You're right, Vitani. I won't let this stop us." Kopa said to her.

"And we will be dere too, Kopa. For through every evil, dere is some good." Rafiki said to him from behind. Kopa turned back to him.

"And what good is there to the ring?" He asked. He wasn't ironic or sarcastic, Kopa was genuinely curious as to what Rafiki would say.

"Dat it will soon be destroyed." Rafiki answered.

They shared warm smiles for a moment until Kopa looked over to his parents.

"Mom... dad..." Kopa started. But Simba interrupted,

"You'll get through this, Kopa."

"We'll help you", Nala continued for him. Kopa smiled at the two of them. He walked over and came together with them warmly. And Vitani looked upon the sight with deep happiness.

Then Kopa looked up to Simba and Nala. "But what're we going to do about Kiara and Kovu? They're probably at least a mile away from here by now."

Simba looked out into the direction where they ran off. He could hardly see any distance at all, but he said to his son,

"We're gonna have to wait until this storm blows over. We'll search for them in the morning." Simba said. Suddenly, Pumbaa spoke up from behind.

"Leave that to us, buddy." he said. Simba and Nala looked back to him, Timon and Zuri. They all had determined looks on their faces.

"You stay with Kopa, Simba. When the storm stops, we'll look for them." Timon said firmly. Simba reluctantly replied,

"Are you sure guys? This isn't gonna let up for a while."

Zuri decided to answer for Timon. "If it means helping to destroy the ring... we won't back down."

Simba smiled at them. These were truly the most loyal of friends anyone in Middle Earth could ask for.

"But uh, just one question..." Timon started up again. "Are you _sure_ you don't wanna do it, Simba?"

* * *

**Author's Note: For those of you who thought I was just emulating the Jackson movies with Lion King characters, here's a bit of a curveball for you. From here on out, the story will not be completely bound to the story of the Peter Jackson film(s), or even the book. I'm changing it around a bit and telling it differently so that it's not just a total clone of the movie. With that said, please review for more chapters!**


	20. Kovu's Lost Past

**Chapter XX: Kovu's Lost Past**

The icy frost clung to Kovu's fur as he hopelessly treaded through the thick of the blizzard. The snow was constant, and the wind against him was stinging every inch of his body, and felt as if he was being stabbed by the Narsil itself. To a lion used to the warm savannah conditions of the Pride Lands, this was lethal. And if that weren't enough, Kovu was in a deep state of mental trauma. He had purposely attacked Kivuli for little to no true reason, and spilled innocent blood against the snow. True he didn't trust Kivuli entirely, but normally it would've never reached such a point as that. This was two days ago. There was no doubt to Kovu anymore that the ring was taking over him. And even as he walked through the snow which was now much higher than his paws, he was lonely, starving, and lost. He had no true idea as to where he was going, and if he didn't get some kind of sense of direction soon, he wouldn't last the night. Kovu silently thought of what it would be like for the others if they ever found his body half buried in the snow and utterly lifeless. Kiara would probably be so devastated, she wouldn't have any desire to continue living. It pained Kovu to have these thoughts, but perhaps it was only to disguise as much as she could the fact he didn't want to face:

He was lost and alone in the deadly blizzard because of a demonic ring.

In his mind, he could still hear its ominous chant echoing through his mind.

_Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,  
Ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul._

Kovu continued to walk through the snow, barely able to go any further. He looked up to the darkening sky and stared up at it for some time. It was almost as if he were searching for a sign... a sign of hope.

"Please... please don't let me die." Kovu whispered to himself. He hardly knew whether he was talking to God or Mufasa, but he hoped that at least someone could hear him. He could feel freezing cold tears emerging from his eyes.

"Kiara... I want to see you... one last time... please..." He continued to whisper.

But the unforgivingly harsh conditions wore on him too hard. Giving in little by little, Kovu collapsed into the snow head first, his strength being completely devoured. The thick snow struck his eyes, and he simply laid there for what seemed like an eternity. His entire body went numb. If someone had struck a rusty sword straight through his body at that moment, he wouldn't have felt a thing.

"Kiara... I..."

He could hardly even utter that sentence in full, his lungs felt completely deprived of air. But with the very last of his strength, he finished it.

"Kiara..._ I'm sorry_."

With that, his mind blurred into almost nothingness as the constant howling of the stabbing winds took over. Eventually the white around him turned to eerie black as the last of his consciousness faded into nothingness. Kovu had never been closer to death than this.

But unknown to him, but his silent preyers had been heard. For about a minute after he blacked out, a mysterious figure appeared in front of him. It was another lion, to be exact, but it was no one from the fellowship. This lion had a light brown pelt with a jet black mane, and had blue eyes. He looked down at Kovu for a moment, and showed no sign of fear or doubt. He leaned over to get a closer look, mane blowing wildly in the air, and bit down on Kovu's shoulder. But this lion had no desire to eat or maim him; for using his strength he pushed Kovu's body up onto his back and moved him around so he was secure. When he was, the lion ran off into the north, knowing full and well that his life was slipping away. He made haste carrying Kovu, and continued on through the deathly blizzard that seemed to have no end. For the lion was almost completely unsure if the victim was even alive anymore.

* * *

Kovu's eyes slowly opened with a bit of a shock. He was no longer within the clutches of the deepening snow, but he found himself laying against a warm, hard rock type surface. Now becoming fully awake, his eyes darted around where he was. He saw the horror of the blizzard at the end of what looked like a cave he was in. The air around him was generally warm compared to outside, and he could feel his body again. Slowly, he got the courage to stand up on all fours. Looking around him, he could see that the cave was more or less featureless beside the ordinary features.

Kovu stretched himself out from waking up, and walked around a bit. Suddenly, a voice called out to him from behind.

"So... you _are_ alive after all."

He quickly turned around and saw the lion and took note of his form.

"Who are you?" Kovu asked him. The lion chuckled a bit before he spoke. His voice was somewhat deep but warm sounding.

"I was beginning to think you were dead." he said. Kovu looked outside to the blizzard once more and then back to the lion.

"Did... did you save me?" He asked. The lion replied,

"Yes, I did. You've been here for nearly three days now. And may I ask, what is your name?"

He answered, "Well, what's yours?"

The lion said to him, "My name is Kifo. And I've been around these parts for years."

It wasn't until now that Kovu noticed some subtle marks of grey around Kifo's mane. Clearly he was a very old lion. Kovu finally answered, "M-my name's Kovu. And I..."

He stopped right there when his thoughts drifted to something else. "Wait, Kifo!... when you were out there, did you see a lioness too? About my size, golden-orange fur?"

Kifo now suddenly looked intrigued by Kovu as he asked, "Is she your mate?"

"Yes, Kiara's my mate. And I know she tried to follow me when I ran off."

Kifo asked him, "Ran off? From where? Who?"

Kovu hesitated and became frantic. "It's along story, but I need to find her! I can explain later!"

Kifo looked out to the blizzard and chuckled softly. "I wouldn't waste the energy, Kovu. She's probably dead by now in these conditions."

Enraged by this thought, Kovu growled deeply at Kifo and pounced him to the ground. His growls turned into small roars directed at him.

"Listen, Kifo! I don't know why you saved me, but if you don't help me find her in the next ten seconds, I can stop worrying about starvation for a while!" he shouted, implying that he was ready to have Kifo as a meal at any time. Kifo, despite the threat, merely chuckled once again. "Kovu, Kovu, Kovu... do I really need a reason to save a lost fellow from death?"

Kovu got off of him, and they stood eye to eye now. Kifo continued, "And I'll help you find your mate. Not because of your threat, but to test my own skills once more. With my age, I'll need it."

Kovu nodded. "Right. So let's go then!"

He began to make for the cave's exit, but Kifo jumped in front of him and stopped him. "No, Kovu. It's too dangerous for you. You still need time for your strength to recover after what you were through."

Kovu was reluctant to comply, but he thought about it for a while and eventually did. He looked up to Kifo.

"Save her, Kifo. She's... she's all I've got left now."

The old lion nodded and then started for the cave exit. But just before he left, he turned back to him.

"And Kovu... when I return, I expect a full explanation of why you were out in the snow... whether I find Kiara or not."

* * *

"Kovu! Kiara!"

It had been three days since the incident with Kovu. Since then, the fellowship had been furiously searching for Kiara and Kovu in the thick of the snow. By now the blizzard had more or less worn off, and now it was reduced to a gently snowfall with a breeze. But that did nothing to help the cold.

For the first day and a half, Timon, Pumbaa and Zuri had no luck on finding either of them. Not wanting to give up hope, Simba and the others took part in the search as well. But three days in, and hope that they were alive was very much wearing thin. Kivuli, who was more than ready to forgive Kovu at this point, was searching the hardest. For the last three days, they had eaten very little. For the only prey that the hunters could catch was the occasional red deer and elk that sometimes wandered around those parts.

"Kiara! Kovu! Where are you?" Simba shouted through the mountains. His voice echoed through them for a long time, before Simba sighed. Soon, Nala came up to him.

"Simba... where else can we look? It's been three days now." She said to him. Simba said, "Nala... we can't give up now. They're close, I can feel it."

Since the disappearance, the fellowship members had moved far out through the mountains to places that were likely far off course from their original path. They had no idea where they were, though hope was about to emerge that that was about to change.

Kopa was digging through some snow with Vitani close by. He shifted the snow around and leaned in close to it, sniffing around for any scent from either of them. Soon, he picked up on something. He sniffed around, and then called out to Simba.

"Hey dad! Come here, I think I've got something!"

All at once, each and every one of the fellowship members turned to him and came running to his spot. They ripped through the snow as fast as they could, hope rising. They crowded around Kopa. And while they each worded it differently, they all asked the same thing: 'What'd you find?'

Kopa looked around to them. "I'm picking up Kovu's scent here." he said. And then he looked ahead and softly gasped.

"And look here!" he said. He walked up forward and looked into the snow. All around it was flat and undisturbed, but through it there were very faded, nearly invisible paw prints in the snow. And at the start of them looked like a small snow drift, as if there had been some kind of struggle.

Vitani went in front of Kopa and also inspected the tracks. She sniffed through the snow and confirmed it.

"This was Kovu all right. But uh... it smells like there was someone else here, too." She said as she finished sniffing around. She looked up to Simba.

"We've got a trail. Let's follow it." she said. Without saying another word, the rest of the fellowship members began to follow Vitani as she now led the way. As they went through the snow, they noticed that the sky was slowly clearing. Blue skies could be seen patching through the grey clouds. For no matter what happened now, at least the weather was improving.

"I don't know if they could've survived." Said Zuri, who was next to Timon on Pumbaa's back. Timon turned to her.

"Hey come on now, they're strong. And if they're together, they made it for sure." Timon replied. The two meerkats then clutched one another closely for warmth, not that they minded.

"If they're alive, Kovu's never going to want to look at me again" muttered Kivuli. Kopa looked back at him.

"Hey come on now, you didn't do anything. Don't go beating yourself up like that." he said. Kivuli replied sadly,

"No, Kopa, I'm the one who owes him an apology. I was selfish... I reasoned with anger instead of compassion. I knew fully well the ring was taking over him, and I only worsened it."

A moment went by before Nala then decided to speak to him. "Hey Kivuli", she started. "Despite what happened, Kovu did have a few good points. Why _did_ you save us at Weathertop? And where did you come from, exactly?"

Kivuli sighed. Most of the fellowship members were looking upon him now, clearly wanting an explanation. So he began.

"My past was not a pleasant one, I must warn you now. For like you, I was born in the Pride Lands. But my childhood was harsh... for I was born during the height of Scar's reign. There were no other cubs around to befriend me, and my parents were killed by Scar personally when they opposed his lordship."

Some of the others gasped at this. Simba said something under his breath, but it could only be heard by him. Kivuli continued.

"So throughout my childhood, I was lonely and unloved. Seeing no better future for myself, I abandoned the Pride Lands. Throughout my teenage years I tried desperately to find a mate, but I never did. You can never understand what it's like... never being able to hold a child in your arms that is of your own. A being you brought into the world... and I never could."

None of them could see it, but Vitani was beginning to shed subtle tears as Kivuli spoke. For she at one point almost went the same way as he did. It made her feel even more lucky and proud to be a mother.

"So I took to exploring the lands of Middle Earth" he went on, "Any place on my map, I've most likely been. Rohan, Arnor, even Isengard. But one of my earliest travels is one I will remember forever... it was right after I had given up hope of finding a mate. I wandered around the lands for weeks on end, not knowing where I was at any point, until... until I came across a dark land with horrid iron gates, and a fiery volcano beyond that."

Simba gasped at the description. "Mordor!" he said to himself.

"Yes", said Kivuli. "My memory is blurry, but I can recollect a great eye upon a tall tower looking down upon me. Its light shone hot and searing. I never saw anything of it beyond that, but the image of the black gates and the great eye has always stayed with me for reason I've yet to understand. Ever since then, I've... been afraid of Mordor, and nightmares of what's beyond the gates continue to plague my sleep even now. For you see, that was why I saved you at Weathertop."

Kopa the decided to guess the rest for him. "So you're helping us because... you want to overcome your fear of what's beyond the gates of Mordor."

Kivuli nodded sadly. "Precicely."

Each and every one of them looked upon Kivuli now. Vitani had tears in her eyes at his story. Zuri was laying her head against Timon's chest for comfort. Simba and Nala seemed especially moved by his words.

"Kivuli... we had no idea." said Nala.

"I only wish I could've explained before." He added. Following this, there was a long period of silence throughout the group. Kivuli's story was far beyond any expectations they could've had. but Kivuli didn't let the silence last.

"Please, feel no pity for me. It is yourselves that you must worry about." he said.

"You're very brave, Kivuli. You seem to know your way around." commented Vitani.

Kivuli answered, "Thank you, Vitani. But for right now, we must find your brother. He and Kiara are still out there somewhere."

And with that, the silence fell upon the group once more. Kivuli's story still fresh in their minds, the search for Kiara and Kovu throughout the freezing landscape continued.

* * *

Kovu paced from left to right around the cave. It had been almost six hours since Kifo left to find Kiara, and now the sun was setting out in the distance. His worst fear at that moment was for Kifo to come back with Kiara's lifeless covered in frost and halfway rotting skin. The sight of that would be too much to continue life in Middle Earth. But that was only a moot point at the moment, for he'd seen nothing of Kifo or any other living thing since he set out before.

"Oh, where are you, Kiara?" he whispered to himself. "Please be alive... don't die. Don't die on me."

He still paced through the cave frantically hoping for good news of any kind.

"I swear to God", he began. "If anything happens to Kiara or the others... I'll throw that ring into Mount Doom personally... eye or no eye. Orcs or no orcs."

Determined as ever, he was as close as he'd ever be to running out and looking for Kifo or Kiara himself. But before he could, a voice called out to him from the cave's entrance.

"Kovu!" it shouted. Immediately, Kovu shot over to the entrance to the cave to see who was there. And his eyes widened at who it was.

The most beautiful lioness in the world to him.

"Kovu! You're alive!" she shouted. Without waiting to respond, Kovu came together with Kiara and the two embraced each other warmly. Kifo then came into the cave.

"I seem to have found your mate, Kovu." he said. But his words went unheard by either of them as Kovu playfully and affectionately pinned Kiara to the ground, and the two stared into one another's eyes deeply.

"Kiara... I'm so sorry over what happened bak there." Kovu said sincerely. Kiara nodded.

"I know, Kovu. I know it was the ring that did it." she said. Kovu then asked her,

"Is Kivuli alright? Is he still against me?"

Kiara thought for a moment. "I didn't see much, but the marks on his face didn't look too bad."

Kovu sighed in relief. "Thank God... thank God you're alive, Kiara." Kovu said to her. Their smiles were warm as the two of them pressed closer against one another, as if they hadn't seen each other in ages. And considering the cold from outside, this was the warmest they'd felt since their arrival at the Misty Mountains. Kifo then spoke up from behind them.

"I'm sorry, both of you, but we have some business to address now." he said to them. The two of them got the message and Kovu climbed off of Kiara. They both stood back up.

"Kovu, he saved me." Kiara said. Kovu nodded. "He saved me too."

Kiara then turned to Kifo. "I guess we owe you something there, huh?" she said. Kifo replied, "Well, not much more than an explanation. If you two are going to stay here-"

Kiara interrupted. "I'm sorry, but we can't stay here. We need to get back to our family. You see... we're on a quest, and we have to see it through to the end no matter what."

Kifo continued. "All in due time, Kiara. But I just need to know- what quest is it? Why are you on it? And what were you both doing out there separated if you're mates?"

The two of them looked at each other and sighed. "Well... I guess we can tell you what we can." said Kovu. The two lions and the lioness then went further back in the cave to discuss matters further. They all sat down by one another. Kovu decided to explain.

"We can't tell you why we're on the journey, but all I can say is we absolutely need to finish it."

Kifo said, "I see. But what led you to be out there, I ask?"

Kovu sighed. "Well... we were walking through the pass of Caradhras, and I... lost control and struck one of my friends in the face, claws and all."

"And why did you do that?"

Kovu continued, "Well, I guess a part of it would be that... I didn't trust him. He came out of nowhere and started leading us. For all we know, he could've been a spy of some sort... but I'm sorry I ever did it. He didn't deserve it, and I had no good reason to do it. So I left them and exiled myself, because I thought I could never see them again after that."

Kifo didn't look sad or angry, but more along the lines of just interested. "Interesting. And do you want to see them again? Apologize, perhaps?"

"Oh absolutely!" Kovu said with some emotion. "I'd give anything to make up for it, but... we don't know where they are now."

Kifo seemed intrigued. "In that case, we can set out for them in the morning. We'll start out where I found you, Kiara." he said to her. There was a brief moment of silence throughout the cave. Kifo then looked upon Kovu's right eye.

"I see you have a healing scar there. How did you get that?" he asked. Kovu sighed as he answered.

"Well, my adopted mother gave it to me. She was ungodly evil, and she tried to kill my mate's father and his pride. After I refused to follow her any more, she swiped her paw against my face. I'm just glad it's healing."

"Adopted? So she wasn't your true mother then."

"Right", Kovu answered. "I never knew my real parents."

Here Kifo began to feel genuinely sorry for him. "I'm terribly sorry."

Kifo decided to shift the conversation back to the original subject now. "But tell me, who else was with you in your quest?"

Kiara answered this time. "Well, our family, really. My parents, my brother and his mate, and a few of our friends."

"One of them was my sister" added Kovu.

What seemed like a meager and minor comment from Kovu became turning point in not just the journey, but his life as well.

Kifo gasped. "Kovu... you say you have a sister... what's her name?"

Kovu and Kiara shared funny looks with each other, not having a clue where Kifo was going with this.

"Her name's Vitani... why?" Kovu answered.

A sudden look of shock came over Kifo. He looked at the two of them, and the walked close to the exit of the cave. He seemed troubled by something.

"Kifo... what is it?" Kiara asked him. The brown furred lion looked back at them both. "Nothing", he answered. "It's just that... all of a sudden you remind me of someone I used to know."

"Who?" asked Kovu.

Kifo began, "A long time ago, I used to live in the Pride Lands, much as yourselves. I had a loving mate, and two of the most beautiful cubs one could ask for. It was right after Scar had been brought down. But Scar's mate Zira came and attacked us with no mercy. I was able to survive, but... my mate was killed at her claws. And neither of my cubs I ever saw again"

Kiara and Kovu both gasped at this.

"I'm so sorry", Kovu said.

"There's more." he continued. "You remind me of my son. At first I thought it was mere coincidence, but now I see it for what it truly is."

The lion was confused by that. "What do you mean? How?" he said.

Kifo finished while looking away from them, "Well... I remember my son had green eyes, and my daughter had blue ones... their names were Kovu and Vitani..."

* * *

**Author's Note: Please review and tell me what you think! And yes, I have an act for cliffhangers, don't I? Feel free to guess who Kifo really is, but I'm sure you all know by now.**


	21. Wandering Bloodlines

**Chapter XXI: Wandering Bloodlines**

Their eyes widened and their mouths slowly opened in absolute shock and disbelief. It couldn't be. Kifo wasn't seriously implying what they thought he was... was he?

"Kifo... what do you mean by that?" Kovu asked reluctantly. Kifo turned back to him with a much warmer expression now.

"There's no way to be certain, Kovu, but... I may very well be your father."

Kiara and Kovu gasped at the same time. Saying that a million thoughts ran through their minds at once was no description at all. Kiara now went up to Kifo.

"How could you possibly come to that?" She said. Kifo looked down to her.

"Well, look at it like this, Kiara... Kovu doesn't remember his parents, I lost my cubs as infants, and my son looked exactly like your mate does now. I think that coincidence no longer fits the situation."

Kovu looked upon Kifo again, and the conflict within his thoughts began. One one paw, this could very well be a spy or an enemy of some sort. There was no way to know that this wasn't some sort of trick devised by Sauron himself. But on the other paw, Kovu had always wanted a father figure of some sort. Scar was long out of the question, and Simba was only his father-in-law. Not to mention he considered how thinking one was a spy had gone for him just days before. And upon studying Kifo a bit closer, he did in fact resemble him in a lot of ways. The jet black mane, the light brown fur, the outlander type of nose... the resemblance certainly was uncanny.

Kovu then said to him, "Kifo... if you really are my father, there's some things I need to know first."

"Like what?" He asked.

"You said Zira attacked you and your mate. Do you know why she did it, exactly?"

The old lion replied, "No, not a clue. She simply approached us one day and attacked. But... she seemed to be looking for something, I'll never know what. It was near the very edge of the Pride Lands, close to the outlands, if I recall correctly. She showed no mercy, and I blacked out. When I awoke, I was floating on my back in the middle of a river, miles away. I thought I was alone, but..."

"But what?" Kiara said. Kifo seemed to be especially pained by this part. In fact, it took a great deal of strength to hold back tears. "I wasn't. On the shoreline nearby, I saw, by chance... the dead, rotting body of my mate... Nafasi was her name. The blood was everywhere. I didn't know what to do..."

As hard as he fought it, a single tear emerged from the old lion's eye.

"My first thought was to get back to the Pride Lands and find my two cubs... but I didn't have the slightest clue where I was. I must've wandered around for weeks. Finding them was the only thing keeping me going. But after what seemed like years, I never saw them again."

He looked sadly at Kovu. "I need to say, whether I'm your father or not... you're the bravest lion I know for surviving such an evil step-mother as Zira."

Kovu sighed. "That isn't the half of it, Kifo... she did so much worse after that."

"Anyway", continued Kifo, "I eventually found my way up here, in the coldest part of the Misty Mountains. I live off of the deer and elk that wander around these parts. To this day I still wish I could've found either of them... at least to say good bye."

Kiara felt a tear run down her face at the thought of this. "That's so... terrible, Kifo." She said. The old lion then turned again to Kovu. His blue eyes were warm and almost welcoming to him.

"But now... I have little doubt that you are the same son I lost years ago. You share the same name, description... and you say your sister's name is Vitani. That was the name of my daughter."

Kovu's mouth opened with shock. Despite what he wanted to believe, the doubt of this old lion being his father was beginning to diminish.

"Kifo... what was your mate like? If... if you're my father, I want to know who my real mother could've been."

The old lion sighed with happiness as he thought back to his past life once more. "Kovu, Nafasi was the most beautiful thing to have ever come into my life. She was so nice and so calm... Fate brought me to her, I suppose. It was the day we had our cubs that I officially believed in fate. Her eyes were emerald green, just as yours are. Her fur was a light shade of yellowish brown... almost grey looking in the dark."

Kovu perked up at this. "That's exactly how Vitani looks! But here eyes are blue, just... like... yours are..."

He tried to continue, but the lion found himself trailing off into silence. his green eyes met up with his blue ones. The look that they gave one another was very different than the look they gave one another upon their first meeting. Kovu took a step closer to the lion, who was smiling at him now. Kovu took a deep breath, and finally said,

"Dad..."

"Son..."

The two lions embraced one another warmly as Kovu slowly accepted who this lion truly was.

His biological father.

"You don't know how long I thought you were dead". Kifo said to him. Kovu placed his paw around his father's back and began to sob with happiness.

"I'm here, dad..." was all he could say. The moment was just too perfect for any words to be uttered. For all he could remember, Kovu never had a parent of any kind who truly cared for him or loved him. Scar never knew him in person, and Zira had simply used him to try and regain the One Ring as her own. The emotions Kovu felt were ones he thought he never would feel- genuine love for a parental figure.

"I love you, son." Kifo said to him. kovu rested his head on his father's shoulder. "I love you... dad."

And hardly four feet away, Kiara was watching the moment, and couldn't stop herself from crying. Not of sorrow, but of happiness. She decided to come over to them both and embrace Kovu's father as well. She nuzzled Kovu beneat his father's head, and he three of them stayed together for an short while.

Afterword, Kovu and Kiara moved back from Kifo to give him some space. Kovu felt so warm on the inside to finally be reunited with his true father. He only wished that his mother could've been there too, to have complete closure upon his past life.

"I guess we have some catching up to do... you and I." said Kovu.

"That we do, son... that we do."

* * *

"Dammit! I lost the trail!"

Vitani looked back to the fellowship after she said this. "The snow must've covered their tracks." she continued.

"Well now what do we do?" Timon called out from the back of the group. Vitani thought for a moment and looked down into the snow. She said to them all, "Looks like we'll just have to get lucky now."

She looked down to the snow, and then up to the mountains around them. For the last hour or so, the terrain had become progressively unforgiving. The slopes were rising, the mountains were getting taller, and now a soft layer of mist was covering the landscape. It wasn't thick to much of an exent, but it was blurring out some of the more distant views of the mountain randes around them. The lioness looked up to the sky. Simba, who could tell she was still worried sick, decided to walk up to her and say, "Vitani, are you alright?"

She said, "I just don't know where to look now, Simba. I would rather never find them at all than find then dead."

Simba thought of something that would hopefully comfort her and said, "If they stayed together, they're alive for sure. They probably found some kind of cave to stay in until we find them... And well, you know those two. All the forces of Mordor and Isengard put together wouldn't separate them for long."

Vitani gave a bit of a weak smile at that, and she looked out ahead of her now. And with that, the fellowship walked onward through the deep snow of the mountains. And while the mist was yet to become a serious problem, it was still steadily thickening. Kopa was by Kivuli, and the two of them walked side by side near the center of the group. Thinking about what had happened with Kovu, Kopa turned to the rogue lion.

"Hey Kivuli?" he started. he glanced over at Kopa through the shadow of his hood, which covered his eyes. Kopa continued, "Listen, if we find them... could you promise not to rip him to shreds?"

Kivuli muttered something under his breath before he spoke. "I already mentioned that I am ready to forgive him. After all it wasn't of his true doing to begin with."

Kopa nodded. "And by the way, I'm kind of glad you showed up when you did back at Weathertop."

Kivuli turned to him. "And why is that?" he said. Kopa replied, "Well... to tell you the truth, I didn't know anything about Middle Earth after that. See, I once found this old, crumpled map of the world back when I was out in the wild. It was all torn up and wet, but I could still read it. The problem was, a lot of it was ripped off. It didn't show anything past Bree, and only showed as far down as this place called Gondor. If you hadn't shown up, we probably would've never gotten this far."

Kivuli nodded. "As I mentioned before, you have nothing to thank me for just yet. We still need to finish this journey, and then you can thank me."

"For what?"

"For getting you so far."

The two lions continued to walk alongside one another for a moment until Kopa spoke up again. "Do you think Kovu's alive?"

Kivuli looked onward as he spoke. "Kopa... there was once something I heard during one of my travels long ago, something I think you should hear. All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost."

Kopa gave him a surprising look. "Whoa, where'd you hear that?"

Kivuli replied, "It was written by a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, I trust you know him. But I heard of it through another lion I once met in my travels around these very parts."

Kopa perked up at the mention of that. "Another lion? Around here? Who was he?"

Kivuli said, "He was an old looking fellow. He went by the name of Kifo."

* * *

Kifo, Kovu and Kiara had spent the last hour piecing together the story of Zira. in the end, they had it like this- After the death of Scar, she became depressed and insane. But then Scar must've spoken to her in a dream of some sort, telling her that the one named Kovu would be his heir. So she wandered around the Pride Lands looking for any cubs with that name until she found him. She attacked the parents and tossed their bodies into a river before Simba or anyone else could notice. And then came every event that Kovu could remember in his life.

Since then, Kovu and Kifo spent a lot of time catching up on old times, telling one another about their adventures and travels. The three of them were all lying on their stomachs against the ground, casually talking about many things. Slowly the conversation drifted to Kovu's only sibling.

"And what is Vitani like?" Kifo asked his son. The three lions were all towards the back of the cave, letting the bright daylight stream through.

Kovu replied, "Well, she's become what you said you wanted her to be- a skilled hunter. She's nice, and she cares for everyone in the Pride. And she's beautiful, too."

Kifo seemed intrigued and happy with how his daughter had turned out. He smiled and then asked, "Has she found a mate yet?"

Kovu glanced over at Kiara before answering. "Yes, she did dad. It was Kopa, they mated after he found his way back to Pride Rock."

Kiara decided to add something. "And Kifo, they've never been so happy before that. I can tell you that your daughter's in the perfect place with him."

Kifo smiled even warmer at the thought of this. He asked them both, "Have they had any cubs yet?"

"Two- Akarudi and Kijani. You would love them." Kovu said. "And Kiara and I had cubs of our own too. Their names are Sayari and Amani."

Kifo chuckled with happiness. "Kovu, you don't know how good it is to hear that my own children were able to have children of their own... I believe that is the greatest thing any father can achieve- to become a grandfather."

Kovu smiled. "Yeah, it's been the best years of our lives raising them. I just wish we could see them now."  
That last part Kovu said softly. Kifo could tell that something was troubling him quite deeply.

"What is it, Kovu?" he asked.

"Oh, it's nothing dad. it's just..."

"What? You can tell me." He said to his son. Kovu sighed. He didn't know if he was about to regret what he was about to say or not. He got up on all fours again, much to the attention of them both and then spoke.

"Dad, I've got something I need to tell you. Have you ever heard the story of Sauron and the One Ring of Power?"

Kiara quickly looked over to him, realizing what he was doing. She stood up as well and came over to him. "Are you sure about this?" She whispered. Kovu nodded.

"Well yes, of course I have. That was one of my favorite stories to hear when I was young."

Kovu continued. "Well, do you know how the ring left Gollum and was never seen again?"

"Yes."

"Well... it _has_ been seen again. By us."

Kifo raised an eyebrow at his son. "What do you-"

Kovu never let Kifo finish that sentence. "When my father-in-law was a cub, he found it. He had it his whole life, and we never even knew it."

A brief moment of silence passed as Kifo took in what Kovu had just said. Now with peaked curiosity and confusion, Kifo stood up and faced Kovu eye to eye. "B-but that's impossible. The story of the ring is just a myth."

"That's what we thought, dad. But it's real. I don't want to believe it myself, but it's real."

Kiara then continued for him. "And we've seen firsthand how dangerous it is. That's why we're out here, Kifo... we need to destroy it."

Kifo took a longer while than before to consider this. His look upon them was gradually turning to one of shock and disbelief. "But that can't be! The only way to destroy it would be... to cast it back into the heart of Mount... Doom..."

He trailed off as he eventually realized what they were getting at. "My God... it's true then."

"There's more" Kovu continued. "When I hit Kivuli back there, it wasn't because I didn't trust him... the ring was corrupting me, dad... I had to get out of there so I wouldn't hurt anyone else."

Kifo gasped with horror and then took a few steps closer to the cave exit. He stood a short distance away from it as he spoke. "So... where's the ring? Do you have it?"

Kiara shook her head. "No... my brother's the one carrying it. Kopa's already been through worse than we can describe being... the ring bearer."

Kifo softly sat down facing the outside. He didn't show it much on his face, but he was very sad to hear this. "I'm so sorry... neither of you should have to-"

Kiara interrupted him. "We couldn't let him do it alone. He wouldn't've made it past Weathertop if we hadn't gone along."

Kifo turned back to the two of them. He did his best to give them a warm smile. "Well I must say, then... this is a truly noble thing for both of you to do. Kovu, you've turned out braver than I could've ever hoped even when I lost you."

Kovu returned the smile. "Thanks, dad."

but Kifo wasn't done. "To not only survive Zira's harsh abuse and corruption, but to journey to Mordor risking everything... Kovu, I already know that you will turn out to be one of the great heroes of Middle Earth someday."

"Ah, it wasn't much, actually. Besides, Kopa's the one who's really bearing the ring. He should be the hero." said Kovu.

"Modest too." Kifo muttered under his breath. Kovu decided to walk up to his father and embrace him once more. Kiara saw it fit to follow. The three lions came together again as they did before.

"Your mother... your _real_ mother would be proud, Kovu." Kifo said to him. The mention of his real mother made a small tear emerge from Kovu's eye. "If there's anything at all that I can do to help you on this journey, I won't hesitate." his father continued.

Kiara then decided to speak up. "Well, we are kind of hungry right now."

Kifo looked down at her. "I'll hunt for the finest deer I can find" He said to his daughter-in-law. He moved away from the two of them and started for the cave's exit. "You'll need the energy for the days to come" Kifo finished. And with that, the old lion walked out into the deep snow and began the search for any stray deer or elk.

Kovu sighed with happiness as he watched him leave. "Can you believe it, Kiara? After all this time, I found my real father."

"Kiara rested her head against his chest. "Do you know how... amazing it feels to know that I can finally forget about that killer as a mother?"

Kiara said to him, "It's wonderful, Kovu... I'm so happy for you." She didn't say it to him, but she was also glad that she no longer had to have Zira as a mother-in-law.

The two of them stayed like that for a while, watching the soft snow come down from the outside. It was such a peaceful moment, they couldn't've asked for it to be better.

Then Kiara said, "You know, Kovu... he won't be back for a while. And we _are_ alone now."

At that last part, her voice became very seductive. She gave a sensual smile to Kovu and he returned it, understanding what she meant.

"You always know how to make my day." he said softly, almost a whisper. And with that, the two of them spent the next hour and a half having the most amount of fun since the start of the journey.


	22. Like Father, Like Son

**Chapter XXII: Like Father, Like Son**

The weather had become unforgiving once again in the hour preceding what happened next. The remaining fellowship members were struggling to move up a natural pathway that crept alongside of one of the mountains. The wind and storm-like conditions had picked up once more, and the blinding blizzard seemed to have no end. It wasn't quite as fierce as the blizzard during the fight between Kovu and Kivuli, but it was still intense nonetheless. Kivuli led the way through the inclining pathway, not at all deterred by the harsh conditions. The wind was blowing against them hard, and the freezing air was almost as bad as before.

To their right was a cliffside that seemed to stretch down without an end. The blizzard made it hazy and blurry all around, so whatever was at the bottom of the cliffs could not be seen. The nine members treaded through the deepening snow with quite a bit of difficulty. In fact, even a man or an elf would've had some trouble moving though it. But despite the conditions, they pressed onward. Kivuli knew of a cave that was near the top of this mountain, and it was their best bet that Kiara and Kovu took shelter in it.

Kopa and Vitani stayed especially close to one another. For them, the could hardly feel their bodies anymore as the wind continued to mercilessly strike them.

Kopa called to Kivuli up ahead of him. "H-how much f-farther it it?"

Kivuli replied, "Not much father, Kopa. We must make our way to the summit, that is where the cave is."

Kopa muttered to himself, "It better be close. I'm freezing my tail off here."

Vitani turned to her mate. "You know what's weird?" she said.

"What?" asked Kopa. The lioness replied, "B-by the time we get to Mordor, we'll be begging for this kind of weather again."

Kopa snickered at that comment. It was a rather ironic thought, and it helped just a little to lighten his mood. But what he and the rest of the company didn't know was that not only was this the wrong cave they were looking for, but a major turn of events was about to unfold there on the mountainside.

They were all walking like normal, when suddenly Kivuli stopped. His eyes widened significantly as he he studied the area around him (what little of it there was to see), and became suspicious of something.

"What is it, Kivuli?" said Simba. As if on cue, a deep, mysterious voice could be faintly heard echoing through the air around them. Save for Kivuli, none of them knew who's voice it could've been. They couldn't make out at all what the voice was saying, but it hardly mattered, Kivuli's eyes widened even further as he looked out in the direction of the voice.

"No... not now." he whispered.

"What?" said Kopa, who just barely heard Kivuli through the wind. Suddenly, the red hooded lion turned back to them all. And for the first time since their first meeting, Kivuli looked genuinely distressed at something. For he knew precisely whos voice was echoing through the landscape.

"It's Saruman!" He shouted through the winds.

And not a second later, an astoundingly loud noise could be heard above them on the mountain. It sounded like the most vicious type of thunder if it struck right by them, and it startled them all, especially Timon and Pumbaa. And just as they quickly looked upwards, they saw what they had least expected- or wanted. An enormous pile of snow, shale and jagged rocks was falling from the side of the mountain above them. The sheer size of it was indescribable, and the speed it was falling was unnatural, to say the least. Having just barely the time to react, the fellowship all moved as close to the edge of the mountainside as they could. The cliff they were next to arched over them slightly, so it provided some protection from the collapsing debris. It all landed just inches away from them, spewing up snow and dust everywhere.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Kivuli screamed. All of the others seemed terrified, as it wasn't until now that they had any idea what Saruman was capable of. And this was only the beginning of his powers as well.

"We must turn back!" Kivuli finished.

"No! We've got nowhere to go now!" Simba said to him. Just after he said this, another booming sound struck above that shook them all throughout their bodies, what little they could still feel of them. Another mountain of heavy snow and rocks crushed the space just in front of them, throwing up snow all over them. As the debris landed, much of it slid over the edge of the cliffside on the right of the passage, falling to wherever the ravine went.

"We must get off the mountain! Make for the gap of Rohan and take the west road!" Kivuli went on. through the ever worsening winds, Kopa shouted to him, "Are you out of your mind?! We have to take shelter from Saruman!"

"And where do you suggest we go?"

"Kopa looked all around him for a second, and then turned back to Kivuli. "W-we might need to stay here for now."

"Stay at the side of the mountain, are you mad? If this is a shelter, then one wall with no roof is a house!"

Seconds after he finished that statement, another viciously loud sound ripped through the mountainsides. But it wasn't coming from above them this time. In fact this sound was completely different. It sounded like a lion roar, coming from the same direction as Saruman's chanting. Whoever or whatever it came from, it sounded as if the roar was some type of war cry, and that they were out for blood. It echoed for a long time before subsiding.

"Who was that?" Nala said, sounding very distressed and surprised to hear the roar. Simba studied the sound before it faded.

"Wait... I've heard that roar before..." Simba said to Nala.

"What are you talking about?" Nala asked him. Simba hesitated.

"I'm not sure." he said. Kivuli then went back out on the pathway and looked around. He didn't think it was possible, but somehow the storm had gotten worse. The winds were stronger, and more fiercely flinging snow all throughout the bitter air.

"There's only one thing we can do now..." he started. "We must head eastwards, towards Lothlorian."

"What's that?" asked Vitani. Kivuli replied, "It is a forest area out in the west. We must reach it if we are to survive the mountains!"

Not a one of them argued with that. Immediately, they all sprang out from the arched mountainside and followed Kivuli, who was moving back down the mountain's path.

"Wait! What about Kiara and Kovu?" said Simba. Kivuli looked back and gave him a rather sorrowful look. "We have no other choice, Simba."

Simba's eyes widened in horror at what Kivuli was suggesting. "No... no! I won't leave them!" he shouted. Without waiting for any response, he turned around and sprang fourth up the pathway, where the cave supposedly was.

"Dad, wait!" shouted Kopa. But it was too late. Simba had already ran up far enough so that his voice was severely drowned out by the howling winds.

"Simba!" Nala shouted to him. Growing determined, Nala ran forth up the pathway to get Simba. Kopa decided to follow.

"No, wait! Saruman will kill you!" Kivuli shouted to them both. Neither one of them took much notice of his call as they went onwards. Soon enough, Vitani ran as fast as she could up the mountain too, and within seconds, they were all out of sight. Kivuli shook his head with doubt and looked back to Rafiki, Timon, Pumbaa and Zuri.

"We can't leave them." he said right before he went forth. The rest of them followed, starting with Rafiki. If there was ever a time his walking stick came in handy, it was then. Timon sighed as he said to Zuri,

"I swear, there'd better be whole lot of bugs over in Lothel... whatever it is he said."

* * *

Simba went onwards, despite nearly all of his instincts telling him otherwise. The snow and wind felt like it was stabbing his entire body, but he still endured it for the sake of Kiara and Kovu. His paws ripped through the deep snow and took little notice of the distant chants of Saruman. Suddenly, Kopa called from behind him.

"Dad! Dad, come back!" he heard. Simba did little more than glance back for a moment before going on. About a minute later, Nala was the first one to catch up with him.

"Simba! Please, we need to wait the storm out! At least another day!" she said. Simba said to her, "They might not _have_ another day, Nala. They could be dying right now, and if I turn back I'll have to carry that the rest of my life!"

Nala sighed. She tried to think of something else to say, but came up with nothing. Soon, Kopa and Vitani showed up through the eerie thickness of the blizzard.

"Dad, have you lost your mind? We need to get out of here!" Kopa shouted. Simba ignored his son's pleas to turn back and continued on.

"The cave isn't much farther, Kopa... I'm... almost there!" he said. Kopa defensively replied, "How do you even know this is the right one? There could be thousands of caves around the mountains, what are the chances that they-!"

The lion never got to finish that sentence. For he was cut off by the sound they had been dreading to hear again- the enormous booming sound of more collapsing snow and rubble from above them. This pile was larger than any of the previous ones, and it seemed to have more jagged stones in it than before.

"Look out!" shouted Nala. That instant, Kopa, Nala and Vitani ran for the side of the mountain, and Simba followed. However, unlike further down the mountain, the sides were not curved inwards at all, so the walls provided no protection at all against the debris. At the very last second, Kopa did his best to protect Vitani from the rubble, but it did little. When the dreaded snow hit them, it lifted Kopa up off of his paws and carried him in the direction the snow was moving- towards the cliffside.

Kopa screamed in terror, realizing what was about to become of him. For he hadn't been so close to death in years.

"Kopa! No!" Most of them shouted. Simba, seeing his son in such mortal peril, sprang forth to get him.

"I'll get you, Kopa!" he screamed. The brown maned lion tried his hardest to look over to him, but the might of the snow and rocks was too much to do so. Soon, Kopa felt the ground benieth him slip away, and the snow was ripping itself apart as it fell over the ravine. But at the very last second, Kopa unsheathed his claws and griped onto the side of the rocky cliff. He held on with all his might, as the freezing slope was not by any means ideal to grip onto so tightly.

"Kopa!" Simba shouted, seeing his son hanging on for dear life on the edge of a cliff. Heavy snow was still moving down, striking Kopa in the face repeatedly to the point where he could hardly keep his eyes open. Simba ran forth and reached Kopa. He had slid down from the force of the snow, and his grip on the cliffside was beginning to weaken.

"Kopa! Grap my paw!" Simba screamed, reaching for his son. Nala and Vitani had now run over to the scene, each of them especially worried for him.

"Come on Kopa, you're gonna make it!" said Vitani. Through the agonizing wind and snow, Kopa hastily climbed up the cliffside. But now, something was beginning to happen. The rocks he was gripping onto were beginning to crack and crumble. He gasped in fear as the chunks falling off became steadily bigger, and it became even harder to climb up.

Not being able to bear the sight of this any longer, Simba reached over farther, now with half his body hanging over the cliff for his son.

"Kopa, give my your paw!" he shouted again in fear. The brown maned lion looked up to his father through the blinding storm and carefully let one of his paws go from the cliffside. He reached upwards as far as he possibly could, and waved it around anywhere he could to reach for his father's paw. As fate had it, their paws did meet up, but the second that they did, the rocks around Kopa began to completely come apart, and the cracked and crumbled around him. Now there he was, dangling over the edge of a nearly bottomless chasm and held on only by the strength of his father.

Vitani and Nala couldn't bear the sight of this anymore. Vitani extended the upper part of her body over the cliff and reached down for Kopa just as Simba was doing.

"Kopa, reach for my paw! she shouted. Mustering all of the strength that he could, he swatted his other paw around until it met up with Vitani's. He was completely airborne now, not a single rock touching his body now. He was simply suspended in the air, and his paws were so cold, they could barely grip the paws he was latching onto now.

With all their might, Simba and Vitani struggled to move back and pull Kopa up over the edge. The looks of terror in their faces was all too real, as the snow made it extremely difficult to pull him over. Soon enough, just as their strength was giving out, Kopa griped onto the cracked edge of the cliff with both paws and slowly pulled himself over. He struggled to do so, and the wind was at its worst at that moment. He could hear his ears ringing , and nearly all of his body was numb. But with the last ounce of strength he could gather, he got himself over the edge, and fell onto the ground in front of him. He was fiercely trying to catch his breath as Vitani and Simba came for him.

But as fate also had it, something else happened before even a word of happiness or gratitude could be spoken. And what it was, it came at the absolute worst possible time.

Another massive, booming noise from Saruman himself. But this time, it didn't happen above them. The explosion of snow and crumbled rock occurred directly on the slopes that Kopa had just been clinging to. The force of the blast sent Kopa flying through the air, striking the snowy ground two meters away. Nala and Vitani were both flung in the opposite direction, further up the path. And as for Simba, the very ground beneath him crumbled into chunks smaller than the smallest of stones. The king screamed as he tried to leap over to the cliffside, but it was a fruitless endeavor. He slid down the breaking side just as Kopa had, only now he was farther down than Kopa was. He was fierce in gripping to the sides of the rocks, but they were all stoll coming apart, and the merciless storm of flung snow fell upon him as well.

Kopa was the first one to get back up on his feet. He ripped through the snow as fast as he could, and Vitani was close behind. They peered down into the chasm and saw a truly terrifying sight- Simba hanging off the edge of the cliff, clinging for dear life. He was too far down to reach for now. Nala, who had since come to see this, wasn't one to give up on her mete.

"Simba! Simba, reach for my paw!" she said as she tried to reach down for him. But after she did, Simba began to precariously slip further and further downwards against the crumbling rock. He looked up in terror, and gave them a very solemn look. It took them a second, but they figured out that that look was supposed to mean. Nala was the first to react.

"No... no, Simba don't! Don't you give up on me!"

Simba's expression grew in sadness. "Nala... it's too late for me" he said in a low, grim tone. Kopa, Vitani and Nala all gasped in shock and horror when he said this.

Vitani said to him, "Don't say that, Simba! You can still-!"

"You're more important than me, all of you. You have to save yourselves... I can't get out of this." Simba said in an even more grim tone.

Despite the icy conditions, tears were rolling down Nala's face now. She looked deeply into Simba's eye from far below and returned the look of sadness. She was beginning to accept the inevitable.

"Nala... I always loved you..." said Simba. At the mention of this, Nala began to sob. "Simba... I... I loved you too." she managed to choke out. Just after that, Simba slipped down further, almost loosing grip of the mountain from the still crumbling rocks.

"Kopa... you need to get to Mordor. Make it there... for me." Simba said. Like his mother, Kopa was crying like he hadn't in so long. Vitani was also crying as well, and she put her head against Kopa's mane. It was freezing, but it was still warm compared to everything else.

"Dad... I love you." said Kopa. They couldn't see it since he was so far down now, but Simba was beginning to cry as well. Collecting himself, he continued. "When you get to Mount Doom... you know what to do. If it's not... for the sake of Middle Earth, do it in my memory..."

Kopa replied, "I will, dad. I... I love you."

Simba 's grip was weakening with every second that went by, but was able to utter these words to his son. "When you get back... to the Pride Lands... you'll be king, Kopa. King... of everything the light touches."

He then gave his sad look to them all, and finally said, "I love you all.", and in his mind, he thought, _I'm coming home, father._

And then his grip on the mountain failed entirely. With a loud ripping of rock sound, Simba slid off and fell through the air, awaiting whatever was at the bottom of the chasm. And the others above just stood there in absolute disbelief and horror at what they'd just witnessed.

Simba!" nala screamed. Her cry of terror echoed throughout the landscape, bouncing off of mountainside for miles around. They all gasped and the tears intensified. They all huddled close together one another for comfort. At that moment, none of the could've cared less about warmth. Just then, Kivuli and the others appeared from behind.

"What's going on?" he asked them.

"Where's Simba?" said Timon. But Nala, Kopa and Vitani took little notice of them as they stared down into the blurred, blizzard filled canyon. The last glimpse of Simba was gone. And soon, the wave of inevitability came upon not just Kopa and Nala, but to everyone else at that moment.

Simba was dead. Much like Mufasa, he died trying to save his son. Like father like son.

For Kopa, there was only one thing he could've possibly said at that moment.

"NOOOOOOOO!"


	23. May It Be

**Author's Note: Well, here's the last chapter of Fellowship of the Pride. The song in this chapter is directly from Enya's "May It Be", which I listened to while I typed this. Please review!**

* * *

**Chapter XXIII: May It Be**

The grief and sorrow that they all went through after that was nearly too horrible to describe.

They had found their way off of the mountain's path unscathed by the fury of Saruman and Isengard, but that was the least of it. At the base of the mountain, and with many others surrounding them, they made no attempt to hold back their emotions. The frigid climate around them had escaped their minds entirely as the wave of reality struck them harder than any of Sauron's forces ever could have.

Simba, their own king and most trusted ally, was dead.

Nala wept the hardest. She was laying down in the snow, not putting an ounce of effort to hold back her tears of sorrow. Her eyes filled with sadness, still trying to grasp the reality that her mate and childhood best friend was gone. For a moment, she thought of Kiara and Kovu. If they were to be found, it was going to be the hardest thing for her to do as a mother to break the news to them.

And all around her, the others softly wept and mourned for the loss as well. Zuri clutched onto Timon harder than she ever had before, weeping while resting her head on his chest. Timon tried to comfort her, but still needed comfort himself. His tears, unlike normally, were genuine. The loss of his own best friend was something he knew would one day come- but not like this. Pumbaa stayed close to the meerkats, hunched over in the snow also sobbing with genuine sadness. Timon and Pumbaa had always been known to cry at uncalled for moments, such as when Kiara and Kovu had become one. But this was nothing like that in the slightest.

Rafiki stood near the edge of a steep hillside, and clutched his stick with sorrow. He did not weep, but he sadly looked up to the sky, where the clouds were slowly beginning to lift. The snow was still coming down, but now at a gentle rate, and the wind had died down. Rafiki said softly, "Oh, Mufasa... give Simba de best welcome dat you can."

At the mention of Simba, a breeze flowed around Rafiki, ruffling his fur somewhat, proving that Mufasa was indeed listening to him.

Kivuli was also severely shaken by this turn of events. He pulled his hood down, and stared solemnly at the snow around him. He walked over to Nala and decided to comfort her. he leaned down and said, "Simba died a hero. You have my pity, and I hope I can do what I must to comfort you in this time."

Nala resisted the urge to nuzzle him. All she did was look up to him and say, "Thank you... I-I just loved him so much!".

And with that, she broke down into tears once more. Kivuli sighed and looked past her to the mountain, where the path lay ahead.

"Alas, farewell, Simba... what hope have we without you?" he said aloud. And he finished by whispering to himself.

"May the great kings of the past welcome you with honor."

But out of them all, perhaps none of them were as torn or scarred as terribly as Kopa. He was generally away from the group, looking out to the direction of the cliff sides with Vitani resting her head against him. While she was quietly sobbing into his mane, Kopa was nearly expressionless as he looked out to the breaking clouds around them. He looked up to the small blue patches of sky, and could see sunlight streaming through them against the rest of the clouds. A single tear emerged from his eye and ran down his face, striking the snow below him. Unile the others, he was trying to be strong through this, and keep his emotions under control. But as his thoughts went on, he came ever closer to breaking.

His own father was gone forever now. All those happy memories with him as a cub seemed to become meaningless without him to remember them with. He remembered how happy Simba was for him when he declared his love for Vitani, and vaguely recalled what he said about it: You shouldn't be embarrased about it. You should be proud of it, Kopa. Love is ageless. Then memories of his life after his return came back to him.

Kopa remembered how Simba was by his side as he held his sleeping firstborn in his arms, hardly two hours old. He thought of the warm and caring smiles and love that his father had shown them that day, before any of this mattered. Before the ring, before Bree, and before this: It was just him, his father, and his new family that day. He would never forget how Vitani and him looked out to the sunset, with Simba and Nala both right by them. He recalled how happy Simba was for them both, and knew that he would be a great father to the cubs. He also remembered back to his cub years again, when he learned he was going to be getting a baby brother or sister, just a week before Zira's attack. He recalled his excitement of becoming a big brother, and how Simba had given him all sorts of advice about it that still applied to him even to that moment in time.

The thought that finally broke him was a memory of his cub years; he and his father were out in a grassy field late at night, and Simba was telling him about the great kings of the past. He remembered pointing to a particularly bright star, and Simba telling him it was the star of Mufasa, the greatest king who ever lived. He didn't quite remember the exchange after that clearly, but he knew it went something like this:

_"Dad?"_

_"Yes son?"_

_"We'll always be together, right?"_

_"I promise we will, Kopa. Even if you can't see me, I'll always be with you in your heart. Just like my own father, I will live on in you."_

That did it for him. Subtly breaking down little by little, Kopa's emotions broke through, and he wept harder than he ever had before in his entire life. He rested his head against Vitani's, and the two of them stayed like that for some time, embracing one another's company. If there was ever a time they needed it, it was then. Soon after a full minute and a half, they both chose to go back and comfort the others as best as they could. For they were going to need it.

Kopa and Vitani walked over to Nala, who was still letting her tears out on the ground. Kopa softly nuzzled his mother, and she looked up to him. The look on both of their faces said it all. The were horrifically scarred for life, and there was no way to change it now. Abruptly, the two of them closely embraced one another warmly, putting their arms around one another. They both sobbed, and at that moment the journey as a whole had escaped their minds. They forgot about Mordor, they forgot about Isengard, Bree, or Rohan. In that moment, it was just them. They stayed together for some time until they let go at last, and Nala gathered the strength to stand back up. She looked at her son, and then Kopa spoke.

"He saved me, mom. He..."

Kopa didn't have the heart to continue. Nala decided to do that for him.

"He went out a hero, Kopa... if nothing else, we have that to tell."

Looking out to the mountains ahead of them, Kivuli spoke to them all.

"We must go onward."

Kopa looked up to him. "What are you talking about?"

"The death of your father is crushing, and it pains me as much as it does you. But regardless-"

Suddenly, Kopa ran over to him with an angry face, and he spoke loudly and sharply. "As much as me? As much as me? He wasn't your father and he didn't die to save you! How could you possibly say it hurts you as much as me?!"

Kivuli took a step back. "Kopa, please understand-"

"No! I won't go any further! My father's dead because we went this way! Because... because of this." he snapped, taking the necklace off of him. He held it in front of his face, studying it.

"_This_ killed Simba. _This_ killed the lion who held me in his arms the day I was born! All the forces of Mordor and Isengard put together won't get me to carry this another step!"

His voice echoed through the mountains, getting the attention of them all. Kivuli took a deep breath before continuing.

"Kopa... I know this is hard on you. But you must consider... if you turn back now, Simba will have died in vain. He would have given his life for nothing if you turn away from what you set out to do."

Kopa's eyes slowly widened. He glanced all around him, looking at the solemn expressions of them all. Growing horrified at what he had just tried to do, he gripped the chain in his paw. He looked around to the others, who all looked worried for him. At last, he said softly,

"Don't follow me."

And he sprang off. He ran through the snow past them all, heading southwards. He tried to catch his breath as he went on through the steep cliff sides all around them.

"Kopa, wait!" Nala shouted after him. But her son pressed onward, clawing his way through the hills ahead of him.

"Kopa!" Vitani shouted. Not willing to watch her mate run off like this, she sprinted forwards to catch up to him. She followed his tracks almost perfectly, looking very concerned for him. The others all grouped together once more, looking out into the east where the two of them ran off.

"What's he doing?" asked Timon. Rafiki, who was in the front of them all, looked back at him. "Ah, I fear dat he is leaving..."

"Well yeah, I can see that!" Timon remarked, sounding annoyed. Rafiki frowned. "No... I mean dat he is leaving... de fellowship. De boy thinks he can get to Mordor on his own."

Nala gasped. "How do you know that, Rafiki?" she said. The baboon looked at her. "I feared dis would happen, Nala. Mufasa tried to warn me about it just minutes ago."

Shocked by the revelation, Pumbaa spoke up. "Well let's go get him! We can't let him go on his own!"

"If he barely made it with all of us, he won't last a week out on his own!" exclaimed Zuri.

Nala was just about to sprint forward to find Kopa, but Rafiki stopped her. "Nala... we must let him do dis."

The lioness was horrified. "What are you talking about? Are you saying we should just let my son die out there on his own? He just lost his father for God sakes!" At that last part, her voice began to choke up, getting ready to shed tears once more.

"Kopa's fate is no longer with us, Nala." he said. The lioness looked up to him sadly with a single tear running down her face.

"Then it was all for nothing... the fellowship has failed..." she said to herself. But Rafiki picked up what she said and gave the best wisdom that he could.

"No, we are far from failure yet. Not if we hold true to one another."

Kivuli came up to Nala now. "Remember why were on that mountain to begin with, Nala. We will not abandon Kiara and Kovu to death, not as long as we have strength within us."

Rafiki continued, "And Kopa will not be alone, not even physically."

Nala perked up at that. "What do you mean?"

"Who else do you not see here?" Rafiki said. Nala looked around, scanning the remaining company. Suddenly she gasped.

"Vitani!"

"Yes", Rafiki went on. "Remember dat she went after him. Dey will find each other. Dey are strong enough to reach Mordor... you must have faith."

Nala grinned at the thought. At the very least, Kopa wouldn't be alone. She took a deep breath. "He survived out there once... he can do it again."

"That's the spirit!" sait Timon, who had just recovered from his emotions. "Kopa's a strong kid... he can do it."

Nala thought for a long while after that. Eventually, she looked out to the sun, and said to them all, "Come on... let's find Kiara and Kovu while we still can."

And with that, they got together again and went towards the north, with Nala now leading thought of the freezing weather was creeping back to them all, but it wore on them little now. For now it was decided; Kopa and Vitani would make it to Mordor. They wouldstay together and find Kiara and Kovu while the chance remained. What they would do afterword they didn't know, but finding them alive was the only thing on their minds now. They set off in the distance, with the sun to their left, shining down upon them. They knew that somewhere up there, Simba was looking down upon them all, finally reunited with his his father with the great kings of the past.

* * *

It was past sundown when Vitani finally found Kopa. The pink horizon spread all across the lands, with the first of the stars beginning to make themselves known. The lioness found her mate sitting by himself on the edge of a flat rock extending out into the air, with a miniature ravine below him. This area of the mountains had far less snow on the ground than before. It was hardly half an inch high now.

Vitani walked behind him quietly, as not to disturb him and his thoughts. His head was bowed down, and he held the ring and its chain in his paw. He stared out it with a nearly expressionless face. He had cried so much now, he couldn't cry any further. There was simply nothing for him emotionally. Faintly, Vitani could hear Kopa whispering something to himself. It sounded like some sort of poem or song, but it was too soft for her to hear clearly. The only words she could pick up were 'shadows' and 'journey'. She could hear just some sort of melody to it, so she could tell he was whispering a song to himself.

The chain hung off his paw as he stared down at the ring. This little thing that was small enough for him to wear had brought death to his father. If he ever made it to Mount Doom, throwing the ring in would be the happiest event of his life.

"Kopa?" Vitani finally called to him. Startled by the voice, he quickly looked behind him and saw Vitani standing just behind him.

"Vitani! What are you doing here?" he asked. When he spoke, his voice sounded just a little bit crackled and soar, as if he had been yelling hard from the bottom of his heart at someone... or something.

"What happened back there, Kopa? You just... ran off." she said.

Kopa got up and turned to her. "Vitani... you shouldn't be here. I have to go to Mordor on my own."

"And I'm coming with you." she said. Kopa's expression grew to that of deep anguish, and gripped the chain ever tighter as he talked. "No... I've already put you and everyone else through too much. It's my fault Simba's dead, it's my fault Kiara and Kovu are missing... and it's my fault that we might not ever see our cubs ever again! I won't let this ring come near you or anyone else ever again."

He took a deep breath and looked up to the stars. The last glimmers of the horizon were fading into night. "I should've never carried the ring, Vitani. I've put you through too much. If anything happened to you from here on out..."

He chose not to finish that sentence. He walked up to Vitani, and their faces were hardly an inch apart now.

"I can't have anything happen to you, Vitani... you mean too much to me."

They both looked deeply into one another's eyes, refusing to look anywhere else. Eventually, his face leaned in towards hers, and their lips came together in a passionate kiss that seemed to go on for ages. This was the type of comfort that he needed from her at that moment. Neither one of them wanted to end it, as it was the most perfect kiss they had ever shared. But eventually, their lips separated. Vitani placed her paw over the chain, and hung it from her claws. She lifted it up over Kopa's head and spread it out. The chain slipped over his mane and onto his neck. the ring dangled from it once more.

"Kopa... you're not gonna be able to do this on your own." she said. "If you won't do it for Middle Earth, do it for me. Do it for the cubs. Do it... for Simba."

Kopa perked up at the mention of his father. His final words to him echoed through his mind.

_When you get to Mount Doom... you know what to do. If it's not... for the sake of Middle Earth, do it in my memory..._

Kopa's face tensed up in determination, as if accepting these turn of events at last. "It's gonna be tough, Vitani." he said. The lioness smirked. "As long as I'm with you, I wouldn't want it any other way."

After another moment of silence, the two of them walked off of the flat rock platform and into the thin snow around them. They set out for the south, like Kivuli had advised them before. They went through the hills around them as they started another conversation.

"Hey Kopa... I heard you whispering something back there. It almost sounded like a song... what was it?" Vitani asked him. Kopa closed his eyes and remembered.

"Vitani... I was singing to myself. It was a song that Simba came up with... the day I was born."

The lioness perked up at this. "Really? How does it go?" she asked. Kopa took a deep breath.

"I remember it like it was yesterday."

And with that, he began to softly sing to her what his father had taught him so long before. Almost the entire time, he was looking out to the horizon, where the last bit of the sun was setting behind the mountains. Towards the end, he looked deep into the eyes of his mate.

_"May it be an evening star,_  
_ Shines down upon you._  
_ May it be when darkness falls,_  
_ Your heart will be true._  
_ You walk a lonely road,_  
_ Oh! How far you are from home!_

_Darkness has come,_  
_ Believe and you will find your way._  
_ Darkness has fallen,_  
_ A promise lives within you now._

_May it be the shadow's call_  
_ Will fly away._  
_ May it be you journey on_  
_ To light the day._  
_ When the night is overcome,_  
_ You may rise to find the sun._

_Darkness has come,_  
_ Believe and you will find your way._  
_ Darkness has fallen,_  
_ A promise lives within you now."_

Vitani gave a warm smile to him when he finished. "Kopa... that was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard." she said. Kopa returned the smile.

"He said that he thought of it as a song of hope while the Pride Lands were recovering from Scar's reign. He knew I would always find my way through the darkness... like we are right now."

Vitani's smile was more pleasant and warm than ever before. She came up and passionately nuzzled her mate, and he returned it. They both looked up to the stars.

"I'll bet Mufasa and Simba somewhere up there right now... watching over us." Kopa said. And although he couldn't see it, the spirit of Mufasa was smiling down upon them both, having unhindered faith in the journey that had now really only begun.

* * *

The two lions had treaded across the mountainsides for nearly a week without rest, save for sleep. The two of them had eaten little, only just enough to survive. They had gone southwards, where the snow ceased to fall any longer. The air was warmer and more tolerable now, and the sky was lighting up from the morning sunrise. Kopa and Vitani were climbing up theslope of one of the shorter mountains to get a bearing on their surroundings.

"Come on, we're almost there." Kopa said to his mate. They gripped the sides of the rocky mountain and soon crawled their way to the top. They were both able to stand upon the summit and look around. All around them, they saw more mountains and clouds around them. And then they looked to the east.

Out in the far distance, beyond the many thin ridges and cliff sides, they saw black mountains forming some sort of ridge, and they went on out to the south. And far beyond the ridge was something that they had both dreaded and prayed for at the same time: The ominous glow of Mount Doom. It was still far off into the distance, well over 200 miles away, but at last the possibility of succeeding in the journey was within reach. They looked out to the fiery glow with a mix of fear and determination.

"Mordor... " Kopa said. "So that's where we're going... I hope the the others can find a safer road."

Vitani said, "Rafiki can look after them."

Kopa looked over to her. The breeze of the air around them began to flow through his flowing mane. "I don't suppose we'll ever see them again." he said solemnly. Vitani replied in a hopeful voice, "We might yet, Kopa... we might yet."

She started down the pathway that led down the mountain to continue on their quest. But before she could start heading down, Kopa called down to her.

"Vitani?"

The lioness looked back to him as he ran to her side.

"I'm glad that you're with me."

They both smiled, and Kopa now led her down the pathway. Neither one of them knew if they would ever see their family, friends or home ever again, but whatever happened, they would always stick together. Even as they treaded down the pathway, into the land of the shadow.

**_To be continued_**

* * *

**I would like to dedicate this story to the timeless Walt Disney Company, to the brilliant Peter Jackson, and to the genius J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) for creating all of the elements that came together to make this story possible.**

**Thank you Disney for making the Lion King Trilogy and all of the characters that came from them. Thank you Peter Jackson for filming one of the greatest and most faithful film trilogies of all time of a book that inspired my to write this story. And thank you J.R.R. Tolkien for writing the marvelous book(s) that made all of this possible, and continue to inspire readers to this very day. Rest in Peace.**

**And thank you, the reader, for following this story through to the end. This is only the first of three stories here, so be on the lookout for The Lion of the Rings: The Two Journeys in the near future.**

**-WTF123**


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